It's Not What You Think
by Lolly4Holly
Summary: Nick has just been rescued from the terrible incident of the coffin to be thrown into another life/death threatening situation. He must solve the unusual crime of revenge, planned years in the making from a wacky scientist. Slightly AU Nick/Greg slash
1. Prologue: Introduction of Cassandra

**It's not what you think**

**CSI: Las Vegas (Around Season Five, shortly after Nick was rescued)**

**Rated: (T-M) NC-17**

**Pairings: Nick Stokes/Greg Sanders**

**Since writing **'I'd Come For You'. **I thought I'd try my hand at another thriller type of story. This one is slightly AU though. The story starts ten years prior for the main event.**

**Summary: **Nick Stokes has just been rescued from the terrible incident of the coffin to be thrown into another life/death threatening situation. He must solve the unusual crime of revenge, planned years in the making from a wacky scientist with his hands on some supernatural powers.

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or any of its characters.**

**Warnings: Adult content and M/M slash relationship. Swearing/Violence/Angst for most of the CSI characters and some others that I made up.**

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**CSI Team:**

**Nick Stokes – Catherine Willows – Sara Sidle – Warrick Brown – Gil Grissom (No Greg)**

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**Prologue: Introduction of Cassandra Nelson**

Cassandra Nelson walked into the bank with her pay cheques secure in her purse. She looked around at the busy bank, waiting for a teller to be free to serve her. She counted over thirty customers waiting to be served and only five tellers, so she was going to be there a while.

_Why do they never have enough tellers to serve all the customers? There's twelve windows posted around the bank, but only five of them are in use? _Cassandra thought to herself as her over active brain was calculating everything around her.

Huffing loudly in frustration, Cassandra Nelson raised her watch to check the time. It had taken her twelve minutes to even get halfway through the crowd of customers.

Just as a bank teller opened up one of the vacant windows to take some more customers, a group of people in dark clothing and ski masks entered the bank bearing guns. Both the customers and employees ran screaming for cover as they shot off a few rounds into the ceiling to get everyone's attention.

"Everybody Shut Up!" One shouted loudly.

"Get down on the Floor!" Another ordered, rounding everyone up away from the doors, waving their weapons around to terrify everyone even more.

Cassandra ducked down to the floor as instructed, watching two of the armed men heading back out the bank to a parked van up front; pulling open the back doors to unload their equipment. They started unloading nondescript cardboard boxes through the double doors of the bank, before they sealed the doors so no one could get in or out.

One of the bad guys jumped on onto one of the desks, checking everyone was down. "Everybody get down and stay down! We're here for the banks money not your money. If you do exactly as we tell you, no one will get hurt!" Clearly the leader and he was slightly more muscular then others. "Stay Down!" He ordered a few customers who raised their heads to look around. They immediately shot back down to the ground, hearing the anger in his voice.

This was a man not to be messed with.

The leader nodded to one of the shorter robbers; they looked female from the slender body curves beneath the black clothing they were all wearing, probably used to hide their identities from the bank personal and security cameras so they couldn't be traced.

Cassandra thought they were very professional for common thieves.

"I'm gonna need your phones and pagers, along with anything else electrical you have on you!" The female robber ordered, holding out a black bag. Her voice was muffled but she was definitely a woman.

Cassandra dug her phone out of her purse, handing it over as she walked by her. She watched as the other customers and employees did the same, clutching her purse close to her chest as if it was a lifeline.

The female robber handed over the bag of phones to her boss then helped the others with the equipment, taking it off towards the vault in the back. The robbers seemed to have planned the whole heist very carefully. They all knew what they were doing and they stuck to it.

The hostages all remained quiet for the longest hour of their lives. The robbers didn't seem to want to hurt anyone, giving the hostages a peace of mind so they could relax and let them get what they came here for.

Cassandra Nelson remained down on the ground against one of the counters with a hostage either side of her. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a security guard slowly pulling his gun from his ankle holster as the thieves had taken away his other. Cassandra tried to get his attention, subtly shaking her head at him so the robbers wouldn't notice, pleading him not to do anything with her sad eyes as she wanted to get back to her husband and daughter back home.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" One of the robbers caught on to his movements, running over to where he was. "Toss your fucking weapon now or I blow your fucking brains out all across this floor!" He ordered in a muffled voice, but it didn't make him any less terrifying.

The security guard sighed heavily, tossing his gun away as instructed. Cassandra sighed in relief.

"Everybody just stay quiet and stay down. The sooner we drill this vault, the sooner you'll get home to your families." Another robber informed them in a much calmer tone, his accent almost sounded English, but it was hard to tell.

The customers and employees did as instructed. They all sat silently as the robbers began to drill the vault locks once again.

Cassandra rested her back against the counter behind her, still clutching her purse tightly. She was going to pay her cheques in yesterday, but her daughter Sandra got sent home from school because she felt sick. Her husband Doctor Matthias Nelson told her that he could collect her from school but she insisted, so she missed her moment to get her pay cheques off to the bank.

She started to wish that she had trusted her husband to collect their daughter from school now.

The robbers didn't seem very violent (except for their language), but Cassandra just had a bad feeling that something bad was going to happen. She suddenly realised she had forgotten to pay the meter for her car.

_What a thing to remember at a time like this. _She slightly chuckled to herself, trying to lighten the mood.

Another long hour passed by, the hostages were beginning to fidget from their positions on the floor. The room was hot and stuffy, getting even stuffier by the minute from the panicking people. Cassandra thought that the robbers clearly weren't very high-tech as it had been two hours.

_In the movies they drill through the locks in no time! _Cassandra noted to herself as she fiddled with her long brown locks of hair.

The hostages nearest the doors suddenly started screaming as gas poured in through the doors. "Shit! It's the freaking cops!" One of the robbers shouted, running through the bank towards the vault to warn the others. "C'mon! We gotta move."

"I'm going as fast as I can." A robber spoke with a much clearer British accent; obviously the brains behind the operation as he was the only one working the drill equipment, but he had taken his ski mask off revealing his sandy blonde hair.

The hostages near the doors started to cough violently as more gas poured in, under the doors. Cassandra started to feel her eyes burning in their sockets, causing tears to pour down her cheeks, smudging her makeup.

The robbers began to move the hostages away from the doors, preparing their guns for a full on attack. "Grab some hostages!" The leader ordered.

"Stand Up!" One ordered Cassandra.

She dropped her purse to the floor, climbing to her feet as she tried to obey his every word and not aggravate him as the hostages who did that on the movies always got shot.

The robber pulled her against his chest, using her as a shield as he made his way towards the front door. "Any of you fucking pigs come in here and we start killing the hostages!" He clearly shouted out of the doors. The other robbers grabbed their own hostages, positioning themselves around the room so they couldn't be targeted by the snipers on the rooftops without the cops taking out a few hostages themselves.

Cassandra looked through the smoke as it began to clear, spotting some police cars posted around the street, a large SWAT truck parked on the far corner and some news crews stood behind the yellow tape reporting the terrible tragedy going down in this very bank.

Cassandra saw this sort of thing happening on television all the time, but she never thought in a million years that she'd be witnessing it with her own two eyes from the other side.

Behind a television set she felt safer. The reporter talked about how many hostages died and all the bloodshed, but Cassandra always felt immune to it. She couldn't feel compassion for those fallen victims as she didn't know them, but witnessing it first hand was a whole new experience.

Now she was the one people were watching on television, saying to themselves: '_I'm so glad that's not me.'_

The robber pulled Cassandra back through the doors, watching the police officers outside cautiously. He nodded round to his boss, watching as they continued to drill the lock of the vault. "Please don't hurt me." Cassandra pleaded the man holding her. He looked at her tear stroked face, feeling empathy for his victim.

This was supposed to be a simple smash and grab job, but it was turning out completely different from their original plan.

"Put down your weapons and release the hostages!" A voice from outside shouted. "I'm Detective Brass . . . no one has to die here. Just release the hostages!"

Cassandra squinted her eyes together to peer through the smoke. She could just about make out the speaker; a man no older than her with brown hair, wearing a smart suit. The robber behind her held her tighter so she couldn't struggle free as they watched the SWAT team members ducking through the police cars, cautiously making their way towards the building.

"Hurry Up!" He shouted back to his comrades, hurting Cassandra's ears from his hoarse scratchy voice. It was like nails on a chalkboard to her. "C'mon Man! They're coming!"

"One second!" The English guy shouted back frustrated. "Okay I've got it!"

The leader and the woman entered the vault together, loading up their large black duffel bags with as much cash as they could grab.

Cassandra shrieked as a loud gunshot whizzed into the bank, shattering through the glass window and striking down one of the robbers.

"Shit they got Tommy!" The guy holding her shouted, pulling her closer so if they shot at him they'd have to shoot through Cassandra first to get to him. "C'mon!" He shouted to his comrades, trying to get them to speed up.

Cassandra and the other hostages shrieked in terror once again as a series of flash bombs flew through the shattered window; disorientating everyone and causing their vision to blur. Everyone ducked low covering their hands over their ears as the loud gun shots ripped through the glass from either side, blasting between the bank robbers inside and the SWAT team outside.

The robber holding Cassandra lost his grip, she managed to wriggle free from him dropping to the ground, immediately clasping her hands over her ears to drown out the loud noises of the heavy gunfire from either side of the battle field. She crawled away on the fragments of broken glass, ripping into the delicate skin of her knees and elbows, making her way back to her purse, looking down at the picture of her husband and daughter, just as the leader grabbed her from the floor, pulling her to her feet against his body to use her as a shield.

Cassandra opened her eyes wider as she looked on at the SWAT team bursting through the windows and doors of the bank, shooting in every direction. One officer aimed his gun at the leader holding Cassandra, taking his shot right as the leader pulled Cassandra in the way of the speeding bullet.

Cassandra froze on the spot. The leader fell back to the ground, his body shaking violently as the blood poured out of his exposed throat. Cassandra watched as a brown lock of her hair fell to the ground from her coat. She felt a tight burning pain in her left shoulder that was only increasing.

Cassandra dropped to her knees on the fragments of glass in front of her, slowly keeling over to the floor to her final resting place as she watched the blood pouring out of her body like a tap. Her arms and legs began to feel cold. The sounds around her became muffled and her sight blurred into a bright burning light.

She knew right then that she was dying. She was going to be one of these unknown victims on the six o'clock news that people watch . . . but don't feel.

She was just Collateral Damage.

* * *

**Ten Years Later**

"It's good to have you back Nick." Sara softly smiled, raising her beer bottle to celebrate his return. Nick nodded doing the same with his. Warrick and Catherine joined in, clinking all of their beers together before they all took a swig, celebrating Nick's return to the job.

"So what day are you coming back to work Nicky?" Catherine asked curiously. Nick had taken some time off since the coffin incident. He toured Europe alone, even returned home to his parents in Dallas for a family visit before he decided to come back to Vegas and get on with his life again.

"Yeah. It'd be really great to have you back on the team. We gotta get the old gang back together again." Sara added with a wide smile, nudging him softly.

"Yeah, I'm comin' back to work soon. Grissom's talkin' to Ecklie about it tomorrow. I have to see a therapist and a PEAP councillor once a week though. They think I'm emotionally damaged or somethin'." He half smiled round at his closest friends. "I'm fine guys. As bad as that coffin was . . . I do actually feel stronger now."

"Really, so how come you haven't hit on any women all night?" Warrick smirked at his best friend.

Nick looked round at the bar, thinking there were slim pickings around here. There was a rather large woman sat alone wearing a large biker jacket. A much younger girl with her boyfriend and a good looking waitress, but Nick noticed that her ring finger was occupied and it was clearly new by the way she kept varnishing it with her finger after placing each order down. "Maybe I just don't feel like datin' right now." Nick shrugged then climbed to his feet grabbing his jacket.

"Nick, where you going man?" Warrick asked. "The nights still young."

Nick dropped some money onto the table, checking for his valet ticket in his jacket pocket. "Home, I'm kinda tired. I'll see you guys later." He pulled his jacket on, waving them off as he head out the bar, handing over his ticket to bring his truck round.

Just as he was about to climb into his truck he spotted a young man in a police uniform running through the middle of ongoing traffic after a kid in baggy track suit bottoms and a long jersey top that looked far too big for him.

Nick decided to assist the young officer.

He took off running after them, flanking the suspect from the side, forcing him down to the pavement as he tried to duck into an alley. The young officer ran up, panting heavily as he rolled the suspect over, cuffing his hands behind his back while he was still on the ground.

"Thanks." He breathlessly panted, looking up at Nick with the most gorgeous grin he'd ever seen.

"You're welcome." Nick looked at the young officer's uniform, reading his name off the side. "Sanders."

Officer Sanders smiled back at him, pulling his suspect to his feet. "You're Nick Stokes, right?" He asked curiously.

"That's me, how'd you know?" Nick asked curiously as he didn't recognise him. He was sure he'd recognise a smile that cute.

"Saw you on the news." Sanders replied. "Were you really buried alive?"

"Yeah." Nick awkwardly nodded, stuffing his hands on his hips.

"Shame." Sanders sighed, pulling his suspect off down the alley.

"Why's that a shame?" Nick shouted after him, before he disappeared from his sight. Sanders just licked his lips, winking at him slyly as he walked away.

Nick smiled to himself, feeling warm tingles in the pit of his stomach. What was it about the young officer's smile that made him melt like that?

* * *

"Down! Get Down Now!" The nervous security guard ordered with his gun raised at the darkened figure coming towards him. The suspect raised their arms slowly either side of their body, slowly turning around to face the security guard. The guard couldn't make out any of his facial features as it was completely covered by a black ski mask. He could only see his vibrant green eyes staring right back at him, sticking out of the only hole in the mask.

"On the ground! Get Down!" He ordered again. The suspect didn't comply just took a few steps closer towards him, not intimidated or scared at the fact there was a gun pointed right at his head.

"On the ground! I'm not gonna tell you again! Get Down!" He demanded again, his hands started to quake with fear as the suspect wasn't doing as asked.

The suspect shook his head; before the guard had time to react the suspect knocked the gun from his hands, slamming his other hand into his throat, leaving him choking and gagging on the floor while he proceeded with his mission in stealing some money for his master.

He escaped through a window in an office, pulling the large bag of cash over his shoulder then ran down the street to a parked truck. He tapped on the side of the van, greeted with the sight of his master.

"Did you get it?" The man inside the van asked.

"Yes sir." The man presented his master with the bag of cash. "What now Master?"

"Now we return to the lab." Doctor Matthias Nelson spoke.

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**Please Review if you liked it**

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**First Uploaded May 9th = Re-edited 6th September 2010**


	2. Chapter 1: In the Beginning

**Chapter One: In the Beginning**

Nick Stokes reached blindly for his alarm clock radio, slamming his hand down repeatedly on the top until it finally stopped making that continuous buzz noise that he hated; mostly because that noise signalled the start of a new day of work, scrapping up someone else's remains off the side walk.

Sometimes he really hated this job, but he loved solving the puzzles behind them and knowing that deep down he was making the world a better place by locking away the bad guys, even if the charges didn't always stick, he kept them off the streets for a couple of months, giving some unknown victim that little bit longer to live, giving him a peace of mind.

Nick grunted loudly, with his face planted firmly in his pillow. He clenched one of his fists tightly, punching it into the pillow over and over again until he felt the anger inside him starting to settle down. He finally pulled the comforter off his head, rubbing his eyes before he crawled out from under the warm sheets, giving out a wide yawn, hearing his joints sleepily clicking as he stretched his arms and legs out slightly. He hated waking up. It was the worst part of the day. He never wanted to leave the comfort of his warm bed and he was always in an angry state of mind as he rushed around to get ready, getting annoyed at anything that got in his way; from missing socks, cold shower water or neighbours dogs barking while he was trying to concentrate on something.

He was a man not to be messed with in the morning.

Nick took a quick shower then wrapped a towel around his waist while he quickly shaved and brushed his teeth before he even started to dry and style his hair. Once he was satisfied with the style he walked back into his bedroom for his clothing that he had already laid out the morning before.

This was a routine he knew all too well.

Seven years as a grave yard shift CSI will do that to you.

Nick flipped through the TV channels in the kitchen, scanning across the news channels as he made himself some breakfast and a nice warm pot of coffee; a good way to start the day, even if it was eight o'clock in the evening.

He started working in Vegas at the age of twenty five in the crime lab as a DNA specialist until he decided to take his career one step further into the field; quickly advancing through the ranks to a CSI level three. He was hoping that one day he could advance to a supervisor and run his own team of Crime Scene Investigators to help people, but for now he had to deal with being the baby of the CSI family; still called by his childhood nickname of Nicky by his fellow co-workers.

Nick sat down in front of the TV with his breakfast; the only noise in the whole house was the sound of the news reporter's voice. Unfortunately his high priority career hadn't left him with much of a social life either. He was used to his house being so quiet; waking up alone, eating alone and going to sleep alone. The only people he really had contact with were those of his work colleagues. He lived a somewhat life of solitude. He was known for his big heart, but he just never reached out to let someone in and love him for who he was.

Work was his only excuse to leave the rest of his life on stand still.

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Sandra Nelson walked through the back of her father's laboratory; currently located in the old barn at the back of the house out in the middle of nowhere, far away from the centre of Las Vegas. She carefully set down his lunch tray of soup, complete with sandwiches and a glass of juice on the table outside his lab. She never knew if he actually ate them, but the tray was always empty when she came back, so she assumed he was eating them as he was the only one out here and she really doubted the coyotes would leave the plate and glass so clean.

Sandra crept towards the large doors of the lab, peering in through the gap between them. She saw sparks flying off a large metallic object inside, blurring her eyesight from the pure white light it formed. She had no idea what he was doing back there, but he barely ever came into the house anymore, let alone to sleep or use the bathroom.

Sandra pulled back her long brown locks of hair behind her shoulder, taking another peek through the gap in the doors. This time there were no sparks. She looked around at the lab equipment then jumped back as she saw a dark gloomy eye looking right back at her. "I'm sorry." She quickly apologised, backing away from the doors as she realised it wasn't a monster, but her father.

The doors suddenly flew open with a great force and there stood her father in a long white lab coat with his hair all messed and the stubble of his beard just coming through. He looked a right mess. Nothing like the father she once knew and loved; now she loved him, but feared him too.

"Dad, I'm so sorry." She rushed to apologise again. "I made you lunch." She indicated over to the tray on the table, trying to calm his mood. He stared at her intently a moment then gave her a sharp nod, pulling the doors shut again and disappearing into his mysterious laboratory to finish whatever experiment he was working on.

Sandra huffed loudly, making her way back towards the house. She and her father had been alone for ten years since her mother's passing. The police called her death an accident; the news teams had her mother plastered across every channel with the headline '_collateral damage.'_

To Sandra though, it was no accident.

Her mother was everything to her. Her father hadn't been the same since. He just recently started his high tech lab experiments in the old barn at the end of their garden. He now spent every waking second in there, leaving Sandra to work, pay bills and look after herself in her own life of solitude trapped in the house alone as she didn't have any contact with the outside world besides shopping for groceries every couple of weeks which her mother had taught her well.

Sandra sometimes wished she had a brother or sister to keep her company, or even a friend. But since she was home schooled out in the middle of nowhere by her father, she never really got to be a kid and make friends. She just spent every waking moment of her own life doing her chores, looking after the house and her father. At least she tried to look after her father; it was very difficult when he was so cold towards her all the time, refusing to come out of his laboratory to eat or sleep.

She never felt more lonely in her life and the only people she could blame were the officers who shot her mother in the first place.

* * *

"Ah Nicky, good you're here." His supervisor Gil Grissom smiled at him, holding out the familiar white slip of paper that had the details of a crime scene on it. Nick took it from his hands, heading off towards his locker to grab his kit and vest.

"Hey Nick! Good to have yah back man." Warrick smiled widely, pulling his own vest on. Nick nodded as he slumped down on the bench, changing his shoes. Warrick looked at his friend's glum mood, immediately asking the question Nick was beginning to get sick of. "Hey you awight man?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Nick absently nodded. Everyone had been asking him that question ever since he got out of hospital. He wished people would just leave him alone and allow him to just get back to his normal life. He was trying to block all thoughts of the coffin from his mind, but whenever people asked the dreaded question '_Are you alright?'_ his mind immediately fixated on the trauma of the horrific event he went through.

He just wanted to forget any of it ever happened.

"What's up with yah then man?" Warrick asked, checking the pockets of his vest.

"Can't wait to get out there, yah know." He smiled up at him so he'd stop worrying as he checked through his own kit in case it needed restocking, but Sara had kindly restocked it for him, ready for his new day of work. That was the kind of help he didn't mind.

The subtle ones.

Nick head straight off to his truck down in the garage, checking the slips address against his sat nav to give him the accurate directions.

For what seemed like an endless moment he sat perfectly still in the driver's seat of his truck, still in the CSI parking complex, breathing in slow deep breaths as he tried to get the coffin out of his mind again. He could taste the dirt in his throat, feel the sweat on his back, even his skin started to crawl from the goosebumps steadily rising to the surface of his skin.

He felt trapped, beginning to hyperventilate again.

Nick threw the car door open, dropping to his knees on the floor outside, taking slow steady breaths of air. He lunged for the Valium bottle in the glove compartment of his car, downing two of the pills quickly as he struggled to his feet again, trying to calm himself down.

He hated feeling like this, he didn't want this thing to take over his life, but he couldn't get the thoughts of the coffin experience out of his mind, no matter what he tried.

That memory of being trapped and confound would be with him until the day he died.

* * *

Sandra leant against the edge of the sink in front of her, swearing she could hear something. She dried her hands on a towel nearby, heading out the back door to listen more carefully. Usually out here in the middle of nowhere it was deadly quiet, but not right now.

Right now she could hear the faint sounds of someone's voice. From the sounds of it, it sounded somewhat like someone screaming for help and the voice appeared to be coming from her father's laboratory.

Sandra took off running for her father's lab, bursting straight through the large double doors without knocking for fear of her father being hurt and calling out for help. Upon entering the large lab she saw lots of high tech machinery posted all around the room that she never saw before and didn't know anything about. Her eyes scanned across the machinery towards a large tank in the middle of the room, made completely of a see-through material so she could see a person strapped to a table inside.

A person she had never seen before.

Sandra slowly approached the large glass tank, looking at the young woman strapped to the table on the other side of thick glass. "Help Me Please!" The young woman screamed, banging her bruised fists down on the sides of the table. Sandra looked at the blood soaked tears streaming down the sides of her face, soaking her long blonde hair with their sticky red colouring.

Sandra panicked, looking around for an opening to get her out, when suddenly a hand slammed down on her shoulder from behind her, causing her to squeal out in shock.

Sandra whirled around to see her father. For the first time in her life she was actually terrified of what he might do to her. He wasn't the same father who used to lift her up onto his shoulders for piggy back rides. He had a dark cold look in his eyes that she had never seen before and she didn't like it one bit; it was as though he was possessed by a dark evil or something.

This was not her father, just a cold dark shell of his former self.

"W-Who's that?" Sandra managed to stammer out in a shaky tone, indicating towards the woman in the tank as her hands almost shook right off her wrists in terror.

"She's nobody!" He barked at her.

"Wh-what's she doing in there?" Sandra queried, finding it odd that her father would cause harm on another human being. He always seemed so kind hearted when she was a child, but a lot's changed since her mother's passing. She never would have thought he would go so far as to hurt another human being though.

The day she lost her mother she lost her father too.

"What are you doing in here Sandy?" He demanded; keeping his dark beady eyes locked on hers, making her shiver. "You're not supposed to be in here! Get out now and don't touch anything." He ordered her.

Sandra quickly nodded, placing her hands at her sides. She glanced back at the young woman in the tank as she took a few steps away, wondering if she should question her father further about why there was a woman in a tank and why she was crying and screaming for help, but she decided to follow his orders and walk straight out of the lab, pulling the doors shut behind her without touching anything else for fear of what her father would do to her.

Would he stuff her in a tank and strap her down to a table? She didn't know what to think anymore. This man was nothing like her father. He had completely changed.

She shakily made her way back towards the house, deciding to go out for some late night grocery shopping to put some distance between her and her father.

* * *

"Hi Nick." Captain Jim Brass waved over to him, lifting the police tape for him to duck underneath. "Victim's name is Kelsey Wight, twenty three years old." Brass informed him. Nick nodded; heading over to David crouched down beside the young female victim's body.

"So what have we got David?" Nick asked as he pulled some latex gloves on, before he started touching the evidence around her body to not contaminate anything that might have the killers DNA on it.

"Gunshot wound to the chest." David showed him, pulling back the young girls cardigan slightly so Nick could photograph the double entry wound of the bullets. Nick helped him roll the body to inspect the back. "One of them looks like a through and through." David reported back to him.

Nick looked around with his flashlight to see if he could find the stray bullet, but it was too dark and the grass around her body was very long. "Okay David, take her away." Nick instructed as he climbed to his feet, inspecting some light blood splatter on the blades of glass behind where she fell.

"Nick!" Brass shouted over to him. "We've just picked up her boyfriend and we've left a message on her parent's answer machine."

"Okay thanks." Nick shouted back, following the blood splatter to a hedge where he found a bullet nesting under some leaves. He tagged and photographed it before he picked it up with some tweezers, inspecting it first before he shoved it into evidence bag for Bobby Dawson to look at later.

Nick climbed to his feet again, spotting a young man stood by the tape. Unlike everyone else he wasn't looking on at the crime scene in shock or terror. He was looking at him specifically, focusing his vibrant green eyes on his every movement, making him involuntary tremble.

It was as though he was there, but no one was home, just a blank stare of nothingness.

Nick tried to focus on the scene again; desperately trying to ignore the young man staring at him. He photographed the scene, taking all the evidence he could back to his truck when it suddenly started to pour down with rain. He ducked under the roof of his truck, sitting on the back as he labelled his evidence up, boxing it up under the shelter of his truck.

"CSI Stokes." A voice shouted over to him. Nick looked up through the blanket of rain, seeing an officer calling over to him. "You're gonna want to see this!" He shouted as he got Nick's attention.

Nick pulled a CSI baseball cap on over his head, walking in the direction he was calling from. He rounded the corner to see the exact same young girl, Kelsey Wight; lying on the grass under a tree. "Didn't David just take her away?" Nick queried. The officer nodded, focusing his torch light on the young girls face.

"You think she has a twin?" The officer asked him. Nick shrugged, quickly calling over some people to help him get the body out of there before all the evidence was washed away by the rain.

Hopefully this one was killed by the same guy as her twin sister so they wouldn't have lost too much evidence due to the sudden heavy rain fall.

* * *

Sandra sat at the dining table by herself with a coffee in her hands, staring blankly out the window ahead of her in the direction of the large barn at the foot of the garden. She was trying to contemplate on what she saw down in her father's lab. Was he really doing something evil down there with that young woman? Why was she crying and screaming for help if she was meant to be there?

Sandra jumped as her father walked in through the back door. "Dad! Can I get you something?" She immediately asked, climbing up from her seat. He shook his head, avoiding eye contact with her as he shuffled off up the stairs.

Sandra placed her empty coffee mug in the sink, staring out the window at the lab. She had to confront her father about the mysterious young woman she saw. She needed to know why she was in there and what he was doing in there.

"Dad." She softly spoke as he came down the stairs again. "Can I talk to you a second?"

"Not now Sandy, I'm busy." He tried to move back out the back door but she stopped him in his tracks, by getting in his way.

"Dad please! Can you just tell me what's going on?" She pleaded.

"It's just an experiment Sandy. Don't worry about it." He told her, giving her a forced half smile as he made his way out the back door again, retreating to his hide out at the foot of the garden.

Sandra sighed heavily watching him disappearing into his lab once again. She _was_ worrying about it because she didn't know what he was doing down there or what was going to happen to the girl she saw. It's not like she could sneak in while he was out, because he rarely ever left the lab.

She froze on the spot as she saw a young man walking out of the lab.

There was nothing out of the ordinary about him, aside from his vibrant green eyes. She had never seen him before and she highly doubted that he was working with her father as he preferred to work alone.

Who was this mysterious green eyed man? And what was he doing in her father's lab when she wasn't even allowed in there.

* * *

**Please Review if you liked it**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter :D**

**This is all set after Season Five year 2005. The only past bit was at the beginning, because it's important for the rest of the story.**

**In case you didn't catch on the scientist is Cassandra Nelson's husband and Sandra is her daughter.**

* * *

**First Uploaded May 9th = Re-edited 6th September 2010**


	3. Chapter 2: Got Murder

**Chapter Two: Got Murder**

"You're looking at Chelsea and Kelsey Wight." Doctor Al the coroner informed Nick as he stood over the bodies of his victims.

"So they _are_ twins?" Nick asked as he stared at each of their faces. They were completely identical, right down to the way they styled their hair. "What are the odds of both of them being killed in the same place on the same night?"

"Oh this one," The doc pointed to Chelsea as he limped around her table. "She's been dead around fourteen hours. Her sister Kelsey on the other hand has only been dead around eight or nine hours." He informed Nick.

"Did you find the cause of death?"

"Yes." The doc handed over their files to Nick which was complete with their cause of death along with the coroner's signature. "Chelsea died of a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, close range."

"Execution style?"

The doc nodded. "Exactly. Death would have been instant. Kelsey however died of a double tap chest wound. She may have bleed out for hours; the wounds would have allowed her minimal movement, but caused her a lot of pain."

"So they could have been shot at the same time?"

"Most likely." He nodded. "I sent the bullet from Chelsea's head and the one in Kelsey's chest up to Bobby along with a sample of their blood up to Henry and Wendy. If they took anything, we'll know."

"Okay, thanks." Nick snapped the latex gloves off his wrists, tossing them into a trash can as he head off towards the lab to check with everyone about his evidence he collected.

"Hey Nick!" Warrick shouted, waving to him from the other end of the hall. He ran towards him, giving him a friendly shoulder tap. "Whatcha doing after work man?"

"Nothin'." Nick answered, shaking his head. Warrick laughed, rolling his eyes at him. "What?" Nick asked confused.

"What happened to the old Nick? You used to have a date every night of the week. Now you've gone all cold turkey." He chuckled.

"I didn't have a date every night of the week and I haven't gone cold turkey." Nick corrected, heading off towards Bobby's lab. "Hey do you know an officer Sanders?" Nick asked curiously, turning back towards Warrick before he left.

Warrick raised his eyebrows thinking a moment then shook his head. "This a girl that caught your attention?"

"Somethin' like that." Nick slyly nodded, heading into Bobby's lab. "Hi Bobby, whatcha got for me?"

"Ah Nick." Bobby reached over for the right file. "Your twins were shot with a 357 magnum. The bullets match a bank robbery heist over a decade ago..."

"You managed to find records that old?" Nick asked shocked as he looked through the file.

"Yep, Brass found the file for me since he worked the case. The bullets match exactly. The gun is owned by a Mr James Wight."

"Their father?" Nick asked surprised.

Bobby nodded. "Yep, he was a security guard at the bank back then. He quit shortly after, but his gun mysteriously disappeared from the evidence lock up."

"When did it disappear?" Nick asked. Bobby shrugged his shoulders. "That's helpful." Nick sighed sarcastically.

"You can check for yourself . . . here's the address to the evidence lock up." Nick took the address in his hands, thanking Bobby as he made his way back out the lab.

"So this officer Sanders?" Warrick continued where their conversation left off as he had been waiting outside the lab to talk to Nick again.

"Warrick, I'm kinda busy." Nick muttered, heading off towards his locker.

"C'mon man, you can't start up a conversation like that and expect me to just drop it. Who is this mysterious woman who caught your eye?" Nick glared at Warrick annoyed.

_Why did they have to be a woman?_

"I'll tell you about it later, okay? I have to get back to work." Nick pushed past Warrick to grab his jacket, heading off towards the garage for his truck.

* * *

"Sandy!" Her father shouted startling her. "Help me here!" Sandra looked round to see a young man in her father's arms.

"Oh my God! Who's that?" She asked surprised, rushing over to her father's side to help him lift the young man to the sofa.

"I don't know." He clearly lied to her, but Sandra wasn't about to question him.

Sandra lifted the young man's eyelids to see those vibrant green eyes again. This was the man that had exited her father's lab. He looked pretty banged up though.

"Get me some wet cloths!" Her father ordered. Sandra nodded, rushing off to the bathroom for some cloths, quickly wetting them under the tap then returning to her father.

"Shouldn't we get him to a hospital?" She asked.

"No! No hospitals!" Doctor Nelson barked at his daughter. "We should get him to my bed. Help me up the stairs with him." Sandra followed his orders, taking the young man's feet as they carried him up the stairs, carefully lowering him to her father's unused bed. "Stay with him!" He ordered his daughter, rushing off down the stairs again.

Sandra stripped open the young man's hooded jumper, seeing his body was a bloody and bruised mess. She didn't know much about health care or the human body, but she used her common sense and carefully started to dab the cuts and bruises with her cold cloth.

Doctor Nelson soon returned with what looked like a medical kit. "Sandy! Go get a blanket." Sandra nodded, rushing off down the hall to retrieve a blanket from the linen closet. She ran back, handing it over to her father. He placed it at the foot of the bed gently rolling it towards the young man's waist then fiddled with some equipment in his kit, tending to the young man's injuries, telling Sandra where to apply pressure and wipe the blood for him as he operated on his body.

Doctor Nelson grabbed some tweezers from his kit, digging out a bullet from the young man's chest. Sandra looked at the small metallic object in shock. She thought people only got shot in the movies; she never thought that real live people got shot.

"Sandy, I need you to stitch!" He ordered.

"No, no I can't." She panicked, seeing all the blood. She was used to stitching clothing or curtains, but a human body was something else entirely.

Doctor Nelson ignored her protest, threading a needle then handed it over to his daughter. "Yes you can honey. Just take it slow. Think of it as one of your sowing projects." Sandra sarcastically rolled her eyes at him.

This wasn't some sowing project, this was a live human being.

She carefully lowered the needle to the man's flesh, cautiously threading it through his skin, stitching across the gap to close the wound. Once she was done Doctor Nelson cut the thread, poured some whisky over the wound then carefully placed a bandage over the top.

"Good girl Sandy." He smiled up at her for the first time in years. Her father being proud of her felt warm inside of her, she didn't feel as lonely right now and she knew that she helped her father save that young man's life.

She was surprised at her father's actions too as he wasn't a medical doctor, he was a research scientist for molecules and things. He had explained it all to her when she was younger, but she never that there were humans involved in his experiments.

But the question that still pressed against her mind was; who was he and why would someone want to hurt him so bad?

* * *

Sara Sidle stepped over her male DB, looking around the rest of the apartment with her flashlight. The place was completely trashed, definitely signs of a struggle and there appeared to be bullet's in the walls as though there was a moving target in the hallway. One of the bullets clearly hit whoever was over there, from the blood splatter against the wall.

Sara pulled a swab from her vest pocket, swabbing a sample of the blood on the wall then labelling it up in a box for Wendy to look at once she got back to the lab. She carefully photographed everything as she looked around the trashed apartment, waiting for the coroner to arrive. She had been at her crime scene just under an hour and she was still waiting for him to determine her victim's cause of death for her.

From her point of view it looked like he was stabbed repeatedly. The murderer even left the murder weapon beside his victim's body with bloody finger prints all over the handle. Sara bagged up the knife then smiled as she saw David finally arriving.

"Hi Sara, sorry I'm late. Catherine had a triple homicide and Warrick had a suicide cult." He explained, setting his kit up by the body.

"That's okay David. My guess is this knife was the thing that killed him." She said, holding up the bag to him.

"Certainly appears that way." David agreed.

"I didn't touch it." She quickly informed him.

"I know." He sweetly smiled up at her. "I know you better than that. Well, I count... eleven stab wounds. Got defensive wounds on the hands too." David showed her. Sara grabbed her camera to take a snap shot of the victims hands while David searched the DB's pockets, handing over the drivers licence to Sara.

"John Walder, thirty two years old . . . from Texas." She read, handing it over to Vartann as he entered the room behind her. "So have we got any witnesses?" She asked him.

"None of the neighbours heard anything before the gunshots. No one saw anything useful. But one neighbour said there was a 1946 red Ford Sedan parked out front for about ten minutes before they heard the gunshots. They said a man in a black hooded sweatshirt entered Mr Walder's apartment around 10:30pm. Then he got back in the car and left."

"Ford Sedan?" Sara asked curiously. "Not many of those around here now. Did you get plates?"

Vartann shook his head. "No security cameras round here either."

Sara groaned as she looked out the window. "Traffic light cameras though." She pointed across the street. "Coulda picked him up."

"I'll check em out and get em back to the lab." Vartann handed over the drivers licence again, heading out the door.

"I'll get him back to the morgue." David told Sara.

"Okay David, thanks." She smiled up at him.

"I don't know when we'll get round to him though. We've got so many to process today."

"That's okay." She smiled, heading into one of the bedrooms down the hall that looked like it had been turned upside-down as though someone was looking for something in there.

She watched David and the coroners wheeling out the body then noticed a photograph that had fallen under the bed. She picked it up, seeing a younger version of the victim John Walder with another man, who appeared to be his father from the similar looks. She bagged the photo up as potential evidence then collected up everything she had collected into a box, heading down to her car to get her evidence back to the lab and processed.

* * *

"Have you noticed anythin' missin' or someone broken in?" Nick asked the security guard as he checked the lock for metal shavings.

"Huh?" The security guard shouted.

"I said, have you noticed anythin' missin' lately. Or broken locks, windows? Anythin' like that?" Nick asked, turning to face him.

"Um..." The old man that could barely see past his nose scratched his head in deep thought. Nick sarcastically rolled his eyes, heading into the storage warehouse, looking around at the stacks of evidence boxes around. The man could barely hear him, let alone see. It was pointless to ask him that question again.

"Where would the box of evidence be for the 1995 Red Rock Bank Robbery be?" Nick asked curiously.

The old man stumbled towards his desk, picking up a clipboard. Nick watched as he set some glasses on his nose, reading down the evidence log list. Nick sighed heavily realising this was going to take a while as the old man was reading the log for 1998 not 1995. He thought he'd help himself out by grabbing another list that actually had 1995 printed on the top, scanning down it until he found the one he was looking for.

According to the record the evidence hadn't been checked out since 1996 when the court case was finally closed. Nick could barely read the signature of the officer who checked it out though. The signature was so smuggled and curly, so it was of little use to him.

Nick walked down the rows of evidence boxes, reaching his destination when he saw the box he was looking for was in fact missing from its spot. He clicked his flashlight on again to look around at the other boxes around the empty spot in case someone had just misplaced it, but the box was well and truly gone for years by the looks of it since there was a thick layer of dust sat where it used to be sat.

He didn't think there was any point in asking the security guard if he knew what happened to it. He probably wouldn't even be able to hear alarms going off let alone noticing a single missing box out of thousands of others in his charge.

Nick had hit another dead end.

* * *

Sandra sat up in bed all night thinking about the badly bleeding man in the room beside her. Her father had since returned to his lab, leaving her alone in the house with this mysterious stranger. She didn't know why they couldn't call for an ambulance. She thought that's what you're supposed to do when people are hurt. She saw it on TV shows and movies all the time, but she had never seen an ambulance for real.

She suddenly jumped as she heard something break down the hall.

Sandra threw back the covers, pulling on her dressing gown then slowly made her way down the hall towards the bathroom as she could see the light on inside. She stood outside a moment listening in then heard something fall inside.

Sandra threw the door open, looking at the strange young man lying on the bathroom floor. "Oh my goodness, are you okay?" She rushed to his side, trying to help him to his feet to get him back to bed.

She carefully lowered him to the bed, checking over his wounds again in case he tore any of his stitches open. She rushed back to the bathroom to wet one the cloths, quickly returning to clean the blood from an open wound.

"Where am I?" He choked out.

"You're at my house. You're safe." She whispered softly to him. "What's your name?" She asked, looking down into his vibrant green eyes. He looked at her completely confused.

"I... I..." He started to stammer then looked at her even more confused. "I don't know."

"You don't know your name?" She asked shocked. From her years of watching movies she'd guess he had some kind of amnesia. "Are you in pain?" She grabbed the bottle of pain killers beside the bed. "My dad said to take two of these every four hours."

"Your dad?" The young man asked as he looked around the room then up into Sandra's warm brown eyes. "What's your name?"

"I'm Sandra Nelson." She smiled softly, handing him two of the pills along with the bottle of water. "You can call me Sandy though. How do you feel?"

"Okay I guess." He spluttered as he struggled to swallow the pills. "How did I get here?"

"My dad found you. He didn't say where." She sat on the side of the bed, carefully cleaning his wounds. "So you don't remember anything?"

The young man shook his head. "Why aren't I at a hospital?" He asked.

"My dad said it's best for you to stay with us. I can go get him if you want?" She suggested, but he was already dozing off to sleep.

Sandra carefully rested the blanket over the top of his body, setting the cloth down on the side before she made her way back to her room to finish getting some sleep herself.

She planned to question her father about where this strange young man came from in the morning.

* * *

Sara walked through the halls of the lab, making her first pit stop at the DNA lab to drop off her evidence to Wendy. "Hey Wendy." She smiled widely.

"Hi Sara." She smiled back, looking up from her work.

"Can you look at these DNA samples for me?" She handed over the bags of her evidence.

"Sure thing." Wendy nodded. "Just set it anywhere. I'll get round to it as soon as I can."

"Oh yeah I heard about the mass suicide cult. Find out what killed them yet?" Sara asked curiously.

"From the looks of it there's a high amount of ketamine in their systems." She half smiled up at her. "Can you tell Warrick I've got most of his results processed?"

"Sure." Sara nodded, heading out the doors off towards Archie's lab. "Hi Archie. Did you get the tapes Vartann sent over?"

"Yeah, I'm just going through them now. I've got the red Ford Sedan leaving, but the camera's not low enough to pick up the plates." He showered her up on the large monitor.

"Can you pick up the drivers face?" She asked taking a seat beside him.

"I'll see what I can do. It's very grainy." He zoomed in on the drivers face, sharpening the image slightly then blew it up on the big screen, sharpening it again. "Sorry, that's the best you're gonna get. The cameras in that neighbourhood aren't very advanced."

"Funny since most of the crime happens down there." Sara smirked. "Thanks Arch. Let me know if you get anything else." Archie nodded, watching her walking off out the lab.

Sara pulled open the break room door, spotting Grissom doing a crossword puzzle on the sofa and Warrick talking to his wife on the phone, leant against the wall. She poured herself a cup of coffee while she waited for Warrick to finish.

Warrick snapped his phone shut angrily, stuffing it in his pocket. "Trouble?" Grissom asked.

"Nah, Tina's just pissed I'm gonna be working another double is all." Warrick grunted, running his fingers through his hair. "She thinks I'm cheating on her."

"Marriage is hard. Especially with this job." Grissom told him. Warrick nodded then looked over at Sara.

"Wendy's got your results." She informed him.

"Thanks, do you know an officer Sanders?" Warrick asked her curiously.

Sara thought about it a moment then shook her head. "No. Why?"

"Nick asked about her. Think he has a crush." Warrick smirked heading out the breakroom. Sara looked at the wide eyed expression on Grissom's face.

"What's up?" She asked, taking a sip of her coffee, immediately regretting it as it tasted horrible and bitter.

"Officer Sanders is a male." Grissom informed her. "He posted a request to join the CSI team a few months ago."

"You turn him down?" She coughed on the thick tar coffee in her throat.

Grissom shook his head. "I haven't got around to the new recruits files yet. I should really do that." Grissom set his newspaper down, heading off towards his office.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." She muttered to herself sarcastically as he just walked away while she was choking.

Sara took a seat on the sofa, looking through the newspaper he was looking at just as Nick walked into the breakroom, pouring himself a coffee. "Ugh, I hate this stuff." He moaned, taking a whiff of it.

"I know, tastes like motor oil." Sara chuckled from behind him. "How's it going with your twin's murder?" She asked curiously.

"Terribly." Nick poured the coffee down the sink, searching through the cupboards for anything else to drink. "Their parents _were_ on their way to the station, now they've suddenly disappeared off the face of the planet. The gun used was supposed to be in an evidence lock up, but the box has been missin' for god knows how many years. They don't have security cameras down there and the only security guard can't see past his nose or hear for shit." Nick grunted, leaning against the counter with nothing to drink. "I've hit a dead end."

"What case was the gun used for?" Sara asked to see if she could help while she waited for her results to come through.

"A bank robbery ten years ago. The 1995 Red Rock robbery."

"Never heard of it." She shook her head.

"I wanted to talk to Brass but he's out in the middle of the desert with Catherine and her triple homicide."

"Brass worked the case?"

"Yeah, he was the lead detective." Nick sat down on a nearby chair, trying to think straight. "How can an evidence box disappear and no one notices?"

"Who was the last person to check it out?"

"Detective Bellow, Burrow or Button . . . couldn't read their signature that well."

"Well let's go look." Sara jumped to her feet, dragging Nick off towards the AV lab with her to sit at a spare computer. Nick reluctantly sat down beside her, watching her trying all three versions of the name. "Here we go, Detective Burrow. He worked the case with Brass." Nick peered over her shoulder, looking at the picture of him.

"How come I've never seen him before?"

"Because he moved to Los Angeles in 1997. Oh..." Sara stopped as she saw the details below his badge.

"What?" Nick searched the screen for whatever she was looking at. "Sara what?" He asked again.

"Detective Burrows wife was involved in the 1995 Red Rock bank robbery." She pointed out. "He was dismissed from the case and the unit after they found his wife's body amongst the dead robbers. Apparently he had no idea what she was doing. He's no longer a Detective either, they fired him."

"Do you think he stole the evidence? He might have been tryin' to clear his wife's name or somethin'?" Nick suggested, looking through the details.

"Well it might give him a motive. But why would he want to clear his wife's name if she lost him his job? This guy lived for his job. Look at all these arrests before 1995." Sara pointed out. "Not a single sick day or holiday in the twenty years he worked homicide either."

"You got an address?" Nick asked.

"Yep." Sara pulled up his home address for Los Angeles. "You gonna take a four hour trip to look up on a lead?"

"I'll have to ask Grissom." Nick smirked at her. "Been a while since I been to LA anyway." He climbed to his feet heading for the door.

"Hey what's with you and your crush on some officer Sanders?" She shouted after him.

"Warrick tell you?" He groaned, looking back at her.

"Yeah, but Warrick thinks he's a girl." She snickered as Nick started to blush. "We could check his record too?" She suggested, going to type his name in.

"No, that's okay thank you. And I don't have a crush; I was merely askin' if he knew him." Nick blushed brighter as he walked away. Sara nodded with a smirk typing in Sanders to the police search engine.

"Oh, he's cute." Sara smiled looking at his picture as it came up. Archie raised his eyebrows at her. "What, he is." She smiled wider. "Says he just transferred from LA." Archie climbed off his chair to look over Sara's shoulder at the picture.

"You think he's cute?" Archie questioned her.

"Of course you wouldn't think so." She glared at him sarcastically then shut down the computer. "Let me know if you get anything from those tapes."

"Will do." Archie nodded, returning to his seat. "And I won't tell anyone you were looking at cute cops." He smirked at her as she left.

"I was doing research actually." She pointed out to him.

"Research?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Yeah, had to know if he was good enough for Nick." She smirked, heading out the lab.

* * *

**Please Review if you liked it**

* * *

**First Uploaded May 9th = Re-edited 6th September 2010**


	4. Chapter 3: Coincidence

**Chapter Three: Coincidence**

"Grissom!" Nick shouted, running after his supervisor down the hall. "Do you know if Brass is back yet?" Grissom shook his head. "Do you know a Detective Burrow?"

"What's with the fifty questions Nicky?"

"That was two questions." Nick frowned at him.

Grissom nodded as he realised that but he meant it to be sarcastic. "No I don't. Who is he?"

"He might have been the guy who stole my evidence."

"You lost your evidence?" Grissom barked at him. "Nicky, how could you lose..."

"In the lock up. My twin victims were killed by a gun that was supposed to be in the lock up, but I went to check and the evidence has been missin' for years. The last person to check the evidence out was this Detective Burrow nine years ago."

"You think he stole the evidence? Word of advice Nicky, if someone's gonna steal something, they don't usually leave their name to let you know they did it." Grissom remarked at him as if he was stupid. "Now if you don't mind, I've got recruits to meet." Grissom continued on his path towards the elevator, leaving Nick stood alone in the hallway.

Nick huffed loudly, he was sick of being treated like the rookie still. His theory wasn't stupid. He was following every lead just like his supervisor taught him to. He decided to go to LA without his supervisor's permission anyway to follow up on his lead, regardless of what Grissom said.

* * *

Sandra carefully lowered the breakfast tray with a bowl of porridge to the young man's lap. He took the spoon in his hands, taking a single mouthful of the warm porridge then beamed a smile up at her. "Thank you Sandy." He spoke softly.

"You're welcome." She sat on the edge of the bed, watching him eating then looked round as her father entered the room.

"How's he doing?" Doctor Nelson asked.

"Much better." The young man nodded. "Thank you for taking me in and looking after me."

"You're welcome. Sandy, can I speak to you a moment?" Her father requested. Sandra nodded, climbing to her feet and following her father out into the hallway. "Honey I need you to get me some things from town." He handed over a hand written shopping list. "As quick as you can."

"Dad, who is that man?"

"I don't know honey." He clearly lied again. Sandra could easily tell when he lied to her because his facial expression was so obvious. "Make sure you get everything on that list." Sandra nodded, scanning her eyes down the list as she made her way off down the stairs towards her father's car outside. She stopped at the car as she saw blood on the back seat.

Sandra pulled the back door open to inspect the blood further. The last person to take the car out was her father, so he must have picked up the strange young man and put him on the back seat. Before Sandra head out to get her father's shopping from the list she decided to clean the blood from the back seat.

After all this was her mother's car and she didn't want it to be tarnished with this stranger's blood.

* * *

Grissom walked through the front doors of the station, looking at the young man stood behind the desk, smiling at him. "Can I help you sir?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm looking for..." Grissom checked the name from his file. "An Officer Greg Sanders." Grissom said then showed him his CSI ID.

"One moment please." The officer grabbed his phone, punching in a number. "Hello Greg, there's a CSI Grissom here to see you." He put the phone down then smiled at Grissom. "He'll be here in a minute. He's not in trouble is he?"

"No, no." Grissom shook his head.

"There he is." The officer pointed to a young man down the hall with headphones on, shaking his booty to the music he was listening to as he made his way down the hall towards them.

"That's Greg Sanders?" Grissom asked shocked.

"Yep, guys a genius." The officer winked at him with a smug grin plastered across his face.

"You rang?" Greg asked the man behind the desk as he pulled the headphones from his ears. The officer pointed to a stunned Grissom, stood in the middle of the room. "Hi, I'm Greg Sanders." He politely introduced himself, extending his left hand.

"Uh huh." Grissom absently nodded, returning the hand shake. "I'm..." Grissom had to look down at his badge to read his name. "Gilbert Grissom . . . I work with the Las Vegas Crime Lab."

"Oh." Greg cheered excitedly. "Is this about my application?"

"Possibly." Grissom nodded slightly as he looked at the young man's pulsating hairstyle and the Marilyn Manson t-shirt clearly showing beneath his police uniform. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

"Sure, there's a spare office back here." Greg grabbed a doughnut off the front desk, leading the way as he licked the hundreds and thousands off coated in icing sugar, getting it all round his mouth.

_He'd certainly liven up the lab. _Grissom thought to himself. But Ecklie would never allow him to hire someone so colourful.

"So what music are you listening to there?" Grissom asked curiously as he could hear the muffled beats of the song.

"This. It's the Prodigy. Wonna listen?"

Before Grissom could refuse, Greg had already put one of the buds in Grissom's ear so he could hear the loud techno music chiming from the headphone.

* * *

"Hey." Sara shouted, running after Nick through the parking complex. "Where are you going?"

"Headin' off to LA."

"Grissom gave you permission?" She asked surprised. Nick slightly nodded then shook his head, deciding not to lie to Sara. "Okay." She chuckled. "I'll cover for you . . . oh and I checked out that Officer Sander's profile..."

"Sara! I told you not to." He shrieked at her with embarrassment.

"What? He's cute; I see why you like him."

"I don't like him, stay out of my business." He hissed at her, heading for his truck as the blush started to creep up his neck, filing his cheeks.

"I was just saying. If you ever need anyone to talk to. I'm your girl."

"Whatever." He muttered, fiddling with his keys.

"No I'm serious Nicky. I'm here for you." She smiled at him.

He looked up into her eyes then half smiled. "Thank you." He said softly, climbing into his truck. "You won't tell Warrick though will yah?"

"No, but he'll find out soon enough."

"Why?" Nick asked confused.

"Coz Grissom is going over the new recruits files today and Officer Sanders is on that list."

"Seriously?" Nick asked surprised, trying to hold back a smile.

"Yep, so you never know. We could be working with him in the near future." She winked at him. "Have fun in LA." She shouted after him as she head back towards the lab. Nick nodded, starting up his truck, allowing the smile to spread across his face at the thought of Officer Sanders joining their team.

* * *

"Now this one, I love the music video to this one. It's called Beautiful People." Greg told him, skipping forwards to the track. "It's by Marilyn Manson."

"You know a lot about your music."

"Yeah." Greg smiled widely. "I coulda been a rock star."

Grissom couldn't help but laugh as the young man strummed an air guitar to the beat of the music. "There's still time Sanders."

"No way, I prefer science." Greg grinned widely, taking a seat on the table. "I love music and dancing, but nothing gets the blood pumping faster than science. Solving murders with the aid of science is even more fun but I was turned down. Not because I'm a nutter or anything like that, but because my parents don't want me to get hurt. See there was this little mishap a few years..."

"Sorry for interrupting you Mr Sanders..."

"Greg, you can call me Greg." He interrupted him back.

"Right Greg, but I came here to talk to you about joining the CSI team."

"I know, but when I'm nervous I just talk and talk and talk..."

"Really? I did not notice that." Grissom remarked sarcastically.

"I'll try my best to shut up. It's just one of those annoying nervous habits I can't shake. I'm even more terrible in deadly silences. I just have to fill the quiet with talking. Seriously I can talk and talk and talk for hours and no one will ever shut me up, which usually makes it worse, before I know it I'm just rambling about random stuff and getting on peoples nerves. Like right now." He gulped. "But go ahead, ask me anything. You can even call the Crime Lab in Los Angeles; they'll tell you I was one of the best. The little mishap wasn't my fault. It was someone else but they're completely forgiven, by me anyway. My mother hates her. Anyway, you can call the LA Crime Lab for references."

"Why did you leave Los Angeles then?"

"My dad works as a homicide detective there. He wouldn't let me work in the field; he just wanted me to stay in the lab where I worked as a DNA specialist. He wouldn't let me go into the field, even after I took the test. He said it was too dangerous out there, even though I was involved in a lab explosion, an explosion that I didn't cause by the way. That's the little mishap, no one died if that's what you're thinking. It was caused by Beth Brillows, one of the grave yard shifts CSI's. I got in the middle of the blast and my parents completely freaked out. I've got tons of scars on my back, but they won't let me go out into the field still. My Supervisor Bill Bryson gave me full recommendations to go into the field though, but it was past off by my father. Instead I got a job as an officer, but over there I only ever got desk jobs because of him, but out here I can do whatever I want."

"Um hum." Grissom nodded, still looking at Greg's crazy hairstyle. "Well from your record you already past your CSI field test, so you should be a perfect candidate."

"Really?" Greg excitedly giggled like a bubbly toddler.

_I'm gonna regret this. _"Yes, I'll take you on a trial run with the rest of my team; see how you work with them before I consider you though."

"Absolutely, I understand." Greg nodded, trying to contain his excitement. "Do you want a cup of coffee?"

Grissom tried to make up an excuse as he looked at his watch. "Er... I really should be..."

"C'mon, everyone has time for a cup of coffee." Greg dragged Grissom off towards the breakroom, pouring him out a cup of coffee. Grissom smiled up at Greg, taking the coffee cup from his hands. He looked down at the glorious brown liquid, smelling its sweet soft scents before he took a sip.

"Mmmm . . . what is that stuff?"

"Blue Hawaiian Coffee, the only stuff I drink and it's the best."

_I could just hire him on his coffee choice alone? The rest of the team would welcome him. _Grissom chuckled to himself.

"What?" Greg asked curiously.

"Nothing, just my team are always complaining about the coffee we have in our lab . . . this is the best coffee I've ever tasted." Grissom smiled, taking another sip of the precious liquid. "I'll call you for your trail run Greg. I have high hopes for you."

"Thank you." Greg giddily jumped up and down in his excitement. "I won't let you down sir."

"Call me Grissom, Greg. Can I take this with me?" He asked pointing to the coffee in his hands.

"Sure, help yourself."

"Thank you Greg, it was very nice to meet you." He smiled, shaking the young man's hand again.

"Ditto." Greg grinned widely.

_In theory he'd be the perfect candidate, besides his over talking. Everyone has annoying quirks though right? _Grissom thought to himself as he exited the station.

_But this is definitely the best cup of coffee I have ever had!_

* * *

Sandra set down the bag of items her father requested on the table outside his lab. She softly knocked on the laboratory doors, listening as some footsteps made their way over to the doors. She involuntary jumped as the doors flew open, seeing her father stood in the doorway in his long flowing lab coat once again.

"Dad, I got you everything you wanted." She pointed over to the bag.

"Thank you." He went to close the doors again, but Sandra stopped him.

"Dad, who is that man? He doesn't know who he is, where did you find him?" She started her line of questioning.

"It's not important honey. I really must get back to work." Doctor Nelson pulled the doors shut again, leaving Sandra completely clueless once again.

She walked off back to the house, heading back upstairs to check on the young man. As she approached the doorway to her father's bedroom she heard voices from behind the door. Sandra slowly pushed the door open; watching the young man thrashing at the sheet's around him as he was trapped in a bad dream.

"Wake up. Wake up." Sandra softly whispered, shaking him gently. His vibrant green eyes suddenly snapped open to look up at her. "Are you okay? You were shouting?"

"I'm fine." He mumbled, wincing as he painfully tried to sit up. "I was dreaming."

"What about?" Sandra asked curiously, sitting on the edge of the bed. As much as she didn't like this strange man in her house it was nice to have someone to talk to for once.

"I saw a man; he was calling out to me."

"What was he saying?"

The young man looked up to meet her gaze. "Kill . . . he said kill over and over again."

"Kill who?" Sandra gulped nervously.

"I don't know. I heard some gunshots." He looked around the room nervously then back into Sandra's eyes. "I was in someone's house."

"Was this the man that was telling you to kill?" Sandra asked.

"No." He shook his head. "This was someone else."

"Do you think it's a memory? From books I've read they say victims of traumatic events only remember things in pieces. You might not have complete amnesia which is where you can't remember anything at all. You might have selective amnesia it could even be some kind of post traumatic stress disorder."

He looked up at her surprised. "You read all that in a book?"

"And from watching the Bourne Identity." She smirked.

"Oh I love that film." He smiled up at her.

"See you remember that, but you don't remember the past few days. That's selective amnesia."

"How come I don't remember my name then?"

"I don't know." She shrugged then sighed softly. "Do you know if you have any family or anything?"

"I don't remember." He sighed disappointed, leaning back against the headrest. "I remember peanut butter and jelly sandwiches . . . I think I had a dog."

"A dog?" Sandra gasped surprised. She had always wanted a dog but her father never let her. "What kind of dog?"

"I don't know." He shook his head at her. "So is it just you and your dad here?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah." She nodded. "My mom died when I was nine. It's just been the two of us since."

"Sorry."

"No it's okay. I miss her every day . . . but it does get a little easier. Deep down I know she's around, watching over me." She smiled at him. "You know you have really pretty eyes, they look like green gems."

"Really?" He asked, blushing slightly. "I like your brown eyes too."

"Thank you."

"Sandy!" Her father shouted from downstairs.

"I'll be right back." She smiled softly, heading out the door. She gave him a wave, heading off down the stairs to see what her father wanted.

"Sandy, there you are. I need you to do a really big favour for me. "

"Sure anything." She nodded, giving him a sweet smile.

"I need you to give this note..." He handed an envelope to her. "To a Detective Brass at the Las Vegas crime lab. Just give it to him directly, don't tell him who it's from or anything."

"Okay Dad." Sandra nodded, taking the envelope in her hands.

* * *

Nick arrived in LA a good four hours later, finding out the Detective he was looking for had in fact been murdered a few hours ago so he head straight for the police station, walking over to the lead detective's desk. He looked at the name sat on the edge of the desk reading: Detective Daniel Sanders. _Huh? That can't be a coincidence. _"Excuse me." Nick cleared his throat getting the Detective's attention.

"Can I help you sir?" He asked looking up at Nick with an inviting smile.

"Yeah, I'm Nick Stokes with the Las Vegas crime lab." He showed him his badge to verify his identity.

"What can I help you with CSI Stokes?"

"I came lookin' for a Detective Burrow; apparently he was murdered last night?"

"Ah yes. He's not a Detective anymore though." Detective Sanders shuffled through the piles of files on his desk, presenting Nick with the right one. "Single gunshot wound to the back of the head."

"Did you close the case?"

Detective Sanders chuckled shaking his head. "It's only been on my desk for six hours son. I'm good, but I'm not that good. What are you investigating Tony Burrow's death for anyway, isn't it out of your jurisdiction?"

"I needed to ask him some questions about some evidence he checked out nine years ago that's since disappeared." Nick sighed heavily as he made the trip for nothing. "Hey do you mind if I look over the evidence you have so far?"

"Course not." Detective Sanders grabbed his jacket, pulling it over his shoulders then led Nick off towards the Crime lab of the station.

Nick looked around at the crime lab open mouthed. It was much grander and more high tech then the one they have back in Vegas. They even had a few machines in there that he had never even seen before. Big beautiful machines shooting out answers to the lab techs. Suddenly he missed working in the lab again. If he had all these wonderful toys to play with he probably would have kept his position in the lab.

"Mr Stokes?" Detective Sanders questioned. "Are you feeling okay? You're acting like you never saw a crime lab before?"

"Oh I have. This is just so much more high tech then the one we've got in Vegas." He chuckled slightly.

"Really?" He queried. "I don't know why my son was so eager to transfer then." He huffed, leading the way through the lab. _Son? _Nick questioned himself, quickly following after the Detective before he lost him in the maze like halls.

The Detective stopped at a DNA lab, holding the doors open for Nick. "Mindy this is Nick Stokes from the Las Vegas Crime Lab." He introduced him. "Nick this is our DNA specialist Mindy Simkins. Can you show him what you got on the Tony Burrows case?"

Nick looked over at her giving her a warm smile. She had long brown hair and dark eyes wearing smart but subtly flirty clothing.

"Sure." Mindy nodded, grabbing a file off her efficiently organised desk. "The coroner confirmed that his cause of death was the single gunshot wound to the back of the head. I didn't find anything in his blood work. But there was a foreign DNA sample. There's nothing in our data, but I'd say it was a male."

"What kind of DNA sample?" Nick queried, looking over her results.

"Spit." She simply said.

Detective Sanders nodded then re-read his report. "One witness said the shooter was dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt and he had very green eyes." Nick looked up at the Detective shocked. "What?"

"Nothin'." Nick shook his head. He remembered a young man in a black hooded sweatshirt with very green eyes at the twin's crime scene, but that can't be a coincidence, _right?_ He asked himself. "Mindy could you fax this over to a Wendy Simms in the Las Vegas crime lab?" Nick requested. Mindy nodded, heading over to her fax machine. "Can I look at the bullets?" Nick asked the Detective.

"Sure, I think Robbie's on break right now. But he always leaves his files out." Detective Sanders led the way towards Robbie's lab. Nick looked at the name on the outside of the door reading 'Robert Lawson.' Nick never believed in coincidences before, but this was all just too strange. "Here it is." Detective Sanders fished out the file, handing it over to Nick.

Nick looked over the results, seeing the bullet was classed as a 357 magnum too. "Huh?"

"What?" The Detective asked curiously.

"This is the exact same bullet as the case I'm workin'."

"You want me to fax that over to someone?" He asked.

"Yeah, Bobby Dawson of the Las Vegas crime lab."

"Really?" Nick nodded, watching a smile spread across the Detective's face. He took the file from Nick's hands, faxing over the sheets to Bobby Dawson. "Anything else I can help you with Mr Stokes?"

"No I think that's okay for now. Will you keep me posted?" Nick asked, handing over his card.

"Sure. Let me know if there's anything else we can do to help you." The Detective led Nick back out the lab, back towards his desk.

"Out of curiosity?" Nick started to ask. "What's your son's name?"

"What my Greg? His names Greg Sanders. He left the lab here where he worked as a DNA specialist to join the field in Las Vegas against my wishes, but thankfully they haven't accepted his application yet. You never know . . . he could be working with you soon enough."

"Oh." Nick nodded, holding back a smile. "Thanks again, Detective Sanders."

"No problem Nick. Do me a favour and make sure my son's application doesn't get processed."

"I can't do that sir. That's my supervisor's job."

"Oh. Maybe you could just look out for him then? He's only twenty nine; I don't know why he always insists on having some adventure in his life." Nick nodded then waved him off, heading back to his truck.

The more he thought about this Greg Sanders, the more he wanted to taste those sweet lips of his, which was very weird for him to think about since he's never thought of another man in that way before.

Greg Sanders must truly be something special to pull at Nick's heart strings like that.

* * *

**First Uploaded May 9th = Re-edited 6th September 2010**


	5. Chapter 4: It's All Relative

**Chapter Four: It's All Relative**

"Sara!" Wendy shouted, just catching her in the hallway. "I've got your results processed."

"Oh thanks." Sara walked into the lab with her, waiting to hear the news on her case.

"There were two different blood samples you gave me. The blood on the floor and knife were all from your victim John Walder, but the blood in the hallway and on the wall was from a separate donor."

"Unidentified?" Sara read off the sheet.

"Yeah, but that's not all. Someone in the Los Angeles crime lab just faxed over a DNA profile for me for one of Nick's cases and their unidentified male sample . . . matches yours perfectly."

"Huh." Sara sighed. "So Nick's over there right now?"

"Must be."

"And our cases are related then?"

"Probably." Wendy nodded. "The DNA matches perfectly but he's still an unknown."

"Okay, thanks for this." Sara smiled, heading out the lab scratching her head in confusion. She couldn't understand how their cases were linked as Nick's twin victims had nothing in common with her victim. She decided to look further into her victims past to see if she could find a connection.

Sara sat herself down in the breakroom with every piece of history she could find on John Walder along with Chelsea and Kesley Wight, trying to find a connection between them.

* * *

Sandra gulped in a deep breath as she entered the police station. She looked around at the officers walking round, watching a man covered in tattoos arguing with one of them. She looked around at the waiting room, noticing a Hispanic man holding a bloody tissue to his nose along with a half naked young woman with a black eye and handcuffs round her wrists. Sandra looked over to the front desk seeing an old man with thick glasses leant against the counter holding a stack of parking tickets in his hands.

Sandra had never seen the inside of a real police station before. It wasn't as grand as they show it on TV shows or movies though.

She walked up towards the front desk, trying to get the man's attention behind it, but he was hard at work on stacks of paper work. She cleared her throat but he just raised his finger to silence her as he answered his ringing phone.

"Las Vegas PD." He answered.

Sandra turned her gaze to the old man beside her giving him a half smile, but she doubted he could see her from the inch thick glasses pressed against his face. She looked around the room for someone else to help her but they were all busy. Sandra glanced down the hall seeing an office door marked 'Detective Brass' so she decided to deliver it herself as no one was paying any attention her.

Sandra made her way off down the hall, stopping at the office door to look inside. After she confirmed it was empty she cautiously pushed the door open, making sure no one was watching her as she made her way inside. She dropped the envelope to the middle of his desk where the Detective could clearly so it.

As she went to turn away she spotted a picture on the desk. Sandra opened her eyes wider as she recognised the blonde girl in the picture. She grabbed the picture to examine it closer. The young blonde woman in the picture was definitely the young girl she saw in her father's lab. But who was she?

Sandra shoved the picture into her bag, sneaking back out the office then through the station without being noticed by anyone. She sighed heavily as she made it outside, heading off towards her car to drive off back home and confront her father about this mysterious blonde girl.

* * *

"Sara, I managed to get an ID off the finger print on the knife." Mandy announced to her, joining her around the breakroom table. "The finger print belongs to a Louis O'Ryan; he was busted when he was sixteen for drug possession." Mandy handed over the kid's pictures.

"Thanks Mandy." Sara smiled.

"What's that you're going through?"

"Detective Burrow's case notes for the 1995 Red Rock bank Robbery."

"You think it's related to your case?" Mandy asked looking at the crime scene photos of the dead bank robbers and a few of the hostages.

"I don't know." She sighed heavily. "Somehow my case is mixed in with Nick's. His victims were shot by a gun that was used in this bank robbery. My suspect has something to do with Detective Burrow's death too. But I can't figure out what." Sara looked up as Grissom walked through the doors.

"Did you really let Nick go all the way to LA for his case?" Mandy asked before Sara could silence her.

"What?" Grissom asked shocked as he spun round to face them. "I didn't let him. He didn't even tell me."

"Opps." Mandy smiled innocently, sinking lower into her chair.

"It's for his case I swear. I think our cases are involved somehow too..." Sara started to explain, but he cut her off.

"I can't stop right now Sara." Grissom checked his watch. "I've got more recruits to interview then I've gotta help Warrick with his suicide cult case. Apparently he's hit a dead end . . . Ew, this coffee is horrible." He cringed as the liquid poured down his throat.

"I know." Sara smirked, watching him pouring his cup down the sink too. "Hey Grissom, you should really consider that Greg Sanders recruit. I checked over his record and he's a genius."

"You think he's cute doncha?" Grissom smirked, watching her blushing.

"How did you know that? Were you spying on me?" She asked shocked.

"Archie told me." He chuckled. "I'm not hiring new recruits because you and Nick think they're cute!" He remarked, heading for the breakroom door. "And I already interviewed Greg Sanders. He seems very . . . lively." He chuckled to himself as he walked off out the door.

Sara looked up at Mandy's surprised expression. She gave her a half smile, collecting up all her case file evidence as she got up to leave, leaving Mandy alone to her thoughts.

"Hey Sara!" Warrick shouted down the hall after her. "Have you seen Nick?"

"He's on his way back from LA."

"LA?" Warrick asked shocked. "What the hell's he doing in LA?"

"Case related. I'll tell him you're looking for him when he gets back."

"It'll be too late then. I was gonna take him out for a night on the strip. That boy needs to get laid after what he's been through."

"Yeah!" Sara remarked sarcastically. "Because the first thing I wonna do after being buried alive is to get laid with a stripper that could have any number of diseases that would only end up killing me anyway."

"That's not funny." He shouted after her.

"It wasn't supposed to be." She shouted back, heading into an empty layout room to piece together her case.

* * *

"Dad!" Sandra shouted, pounding on the lab door. The doors suddenly flew open, revealing her father once again. "Dad, I have to talk to you about something."

"Did you deliver the note?" He immediately asked.

"Yes, but Dad..."

"Honey, I'm really busy. Can't it wait?" He cut her off, about to close the door on her again, but she put her foot in the way of it.

"Dad, who's that girl I saw?" Sandra pulled the picture she stole from the Detective's desk out of her bag to show her father. "Is this her? This is the young woman I saw right?"

"Sandy, I don't know what you're getting at here, but you've got it all..."

"Dad! What the hell did you have me deliver to that cop? Is this his daughter? Did I deliver a ransom note?"

"No honey. Not at all. You watch far too much television." He chuckled. "This... this doesn't even look like the girl you saw..."

"Who is she then? Why was she in there?"

"It's complicated sweetie. I swear, I will show you my research one day. My work is going to help out so many people. Just trust me Sandy." He said with a not so reassuring smile. "Now I really have to get back to work." Before Sandra could protest again her father pulled the doors shut on her, leaving her stood outside with the picture in her grasp.

She looked back down at it in her hands as the doors slammed shut in her face. Maybe she did make a mistake and this wasn't the girl she saw. But why would her father have her deliver a top secret note to the Detective? What was her father involved in?

* * *

Nick climbed out of his truck, seeing Sara and Warrick stood by the elevator doors together. They appeared to be waiting for him as they smiled to him giving him a friendly wave. "Hi Nicky!" Sara shouted.

_Oh great. _Nick thought to himself. As much as he loved his friends, he knew they were about to make an observational guess on him; telling him he needs to get out and experience life or tell him to get laid and get over what was on his mind.

Nick stuffed his hands in his pockets, walking off towards them. He could see right through their wide smiles. So when Sara asked. "How was LA?" He knew exactly what Warrick's question was going to be.

"Yeah man. Hook up with any girls?"

_Typical! _Nick thought to himself. "No I didn't hook up with anyone; no I didn't have a good time. I was there investigatin' a murder. Not to have fun. And if either of you so much as ask if I'm okay..."

"Relax man." Warrick tried to calm the already hot headed Texan. "We were waiting for you to take you out for a night on the strip."

"No thanks. I'm good."

"Nick, c'mon man. You haven't stopped working since you came back."

"I'm tryin' to solve of a murder of two twenty-three year old girls that never did shit to nobody!" Nick retorted, getting angrier by the second. "I don't wonna go out for a night on the strip. I'm fine where I am." He barked at them, heading for the elevator but Sara got in his way again.

"Nick. We're not your enemies. We're your friends. Your friends who care about you and we're just trying to help you." She tried to explain.

"I didn't ask for your help!" He shouted at them both, feeling his anger bubbling to the surface.

"Well when are you going to Nick?" Warrick shouted angrily, getting punched in the arm by Sara. "No Sara, you need help Nick. You're not the same. You're so focused on this case, I bet you haven't eaten, am I right?"

"What do you care?" Nick went to shove Warrick, but Sara stepped in the way knowing he wouldn't hurt her even if he was really pissed off.

"I care coz I'm yah friend Nick. You were gonna kill yourself in that coffin. If it wasn't for me... you would be dead!" Warrick shouted at him then stormed off through the parking garage towards his car, speeding off out the lot.

Sara remained silent as Nick stood in front of her thinking hard.

Nick suddenly sighed heavily. He walked over to the wall beside him, sliding his back down it to a sitting position on the floor, pulling his knees close to his chest. He took another deep breath then slumped his head onto his knees, running his fingers through his hair.

"Nick . . . are you..." Sara stopped as she was about to ask the question that Nick hated. Instead she decided to sit down beside him, remaining silent to be there for him in case he felt like talking, but a full twenty minutes went by without a word from either one of them.

She couldn't wait any longer so she tried an ice breaker. "Hey, you wonna hear something funny?" Nick didn't move or speak so she decided to tell him anyway. "Grissom went to see that Greg Sanders last night. He said they talked about music, doughnuts, Marilyn Manson and Grissom said even though he talks so much, he's definitely hiring him based on his coffee choice." She chuckled softly. "He said it was liquid gold." Nick looked up at her, giving her a half smile. "So when did _you_ meet him Nicky? You never told me."

"Long story." He mumbled in a barely audible whisper.

"Hey we've got time. Technically we're off shift right now." She smiled checking her watch. "It'll do yah some good to get your mind off this case for a little while."

"I dunno." He shrugged with a heavy sigh. "I just saw him takin' down a suspect."

"That wasn't that long." She remarked as she laughed, trying to cheer him up. "It's not good to be alone Nicky."

"You're alone." He retorted.

"Yeah, but I wasn't recently buried alive in a box underground with red fire ants eating me." Nick gave her an evil scowl. "What? It's true, I wasn't."

"Doesn't mean I have to get laid." He muttered.

"I didn't say laid. I said get to know him. You have this look about you when you talk about him Nick. Don't you wonna get to know him?"

"Yeah." Nick half smiled. "We barely said about five words to each other . . . but there was just somethin' about him . . . I don't even know him."

"Didn't you get his number?"

"I didn't even get his first name." Nick smiled slightly wider. He leant back against the wall, taking in a deep soothing breath. "Guess I should get to know him a little more, huh?"

"That is usually what people do when they like someone." Sara smirked. "See, you're already smiling."

"It won't last." He grunted. "Why are you tryin' to cheer me up anyway?"

"Coz your wound tighter than a knot Nick. It's not good for your health and it's certainly not going to help you with your case if you're wound so tight." She explained to him. "You should go home and get some rest Nicky. You can finish your case bright and early tomorrow night after a decent night's sleep."

"What if the killer strikes again?"

"You can't change who lives or who dies Nicky."

"No, but I can help prevent someone's death by finding this killer." He climbed to his feet, wiping the dirt from his jeans. "I can't go home and sleep while this guy is still out there Sara."

"Fine." She climbed to her feet with him. "Then I'm staying to help you, but first... we're going out to grab some breakfast so I can explain to you what's going on."

"What is goin' on?" He asked confused.

"I think your case is somehow linked to mine." She simply said, heading off to her car. "C'mon Nick, I'll explain over breakfast and a decent cup of coffee." She smirked. Nick thought about it a moment then nodded as he did actually feel hungry so he decided to join her by her car.

Nick remained silent sat in the passenger seat of Sara's car for the whole journey there. He didn't even realize how hungry he was until they got halfway there when his stomach really started to rumble.

Maybe he could take his mind off the case for a few minutes to grab something to eat.

Nick slumped down into the booth, looking around at all the cops that occupied the stools around the breakfast bar. Sara bought them some coffees then joined Nick in the booth, while they waited for their breakfast. "Thanks." He smiled up at her. "So what's this evidence that links our cases together then?"

"Not yet. Tell me more about Greg first." She insisted. Nick rolled his eyes at her, leaning back against the booth chair. "C'mon tell me one thing that got you hooked then I'll tell you about the case."

"His eyes, talk."

Sara rolled her eyes giving him a half smile. "I think our cases are involved by some DNA. There. Tell me more about this Greg."

"Sara! I saw him once; I don't know what to tell yah."

"What about his eyes?"

"They're brown." He mumbled.

"Ha ha Nick." She remarked sarcastically. "Gimme a little more than that."

"Sara you're not helpin' me here!" He moaned at her.

"Fine, you know that suspects DNA you had faxed over from LA?" Nick nodded. "That DNA sample matches my suspects DNA. See my victim was stabbed multiple times. But he managed to shoot whoever attacked him."

"Did you get a description?"

"No, just the car. A 1946 Red Ford Sedan."

"Not many of them around."

"Exactly." Sara nodded, stirring some sugar into her coffee. "That enough information for you?"

"He has a smile that makes me melt." Nick confessed, blushing slightly then rushed to change the subject. "A Detective over in LA managed to get a description off the suspect who killed the former Detective Anthony 'Tony' Burrow. A witness saw a man in a black hooded sweatshirt and very green eyes. The thing is I saw a guy just like this at the twin's crime scene. He was stood the other side of the tape until it started raining."

"You think he's our prime suspect then? Maybe he's gone on some sort of crime spree across the city?" Sara suggested.

"Maybe . . . but somehow this bank robbery from 1995 is tied in. This Detective Burrow worked the case, his wife was involved in the robbery and the twin's father was a security guard there and now he and his wife are missin'."

"Odd." Sara leant back in the booth, taking slow sips of her coffee. "Maybe it's just a coincidence?"

"I don't believe in coincidences."

"What else did you find out down in LA then?" She asked curiously.

Nick took a sip of his coffee then shrugged. "The bullet Detective Burrow was killed with is exactly the same as the bullets the twin's were shot with. Did you get the bullets from your crime scene?"

"Yeah, but no gun. The bullets were from a Smith & Wesson that the victim John Walder owned. The guns still missing though. Maybe the suspect took it with him." Sara suggested, looking up as another group of police officers entered the cafe. "Oh and Mandy found a finger print on my murder weapon. It belonged to a Louis O'Ryan. He was arrested as a teenager, but we don't have his DNA on file."

"What was he arrested for?" Nick asked, watching as their waitress walked over with their breakfasts in hand.

"Drug possession." Sara said leaning back in the booth as the waitress set down their plates. "Thanks." She smiled up at her.

"Thank you ma'am." Nick smiled at the waitress, waiting until she left to reach straight for the salt shaker. "Murders a step up from drug possession then. You got this guys address?"

"No . . . there's no record of him past his payroll. It's as though he just disappeared off the face of the earth or something." Sara explained, cleaning off her knife and fork on a napkin before she started eating.

"You're such a germaphode Sara." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Do you know how many germs there are in a place like this?" She asked, carefully inspecting her food before she took a mouthful.

"Then why'd yah agree to come here with me?"

"Coz it was your choice . . . and lots of cops eat here." She smiled as she spotted someone walking in.

"Who?" Nick looked around, spotting the person she meant. Nick quickly sank lower in the booth, trying to eat his breakfast quickly.

"I can't believe you Nick. You're not even gonna talk to him?"

"Is that the only reason you wanted to come here? To hook me up with someone. Sara I don't need anybody in my life to make me feel alive." He peered around the booth watching Greg Sanders ordering himself a coffee. "Even if he is pretty cute."

"Ha see. You do think he's cute." She smiled victoriously.

"He's okay." Nick shrugged, continuing to eat his breakfast. He tried his best not to blush, but the blood was slowly sneaking its way up his neck to fill his cheeks.

"Wonna invite him over?" Sara suggested.

"What? No Sara, please don't." He pleaded with his puppy dog expression.

"He might be part of our team soon and you don't wonna get to know him?" Sara climbed out of the booth ignoring his protest as she walked over to Greg to introduce herself. "Hi there, I'm Sara Sidle. I work with the Las Vegas Crime Lab. You must be Greg Sanders." She smiled politely.

"Yeah I am. Hi Sara, nice to meet you." He shook her hand in return, collecting his coffee off the counter.

"So you wonna become a field CSI, huh?"

"Yeah, I tried to get the job over in LA, but with my father there it was a lot harder to get the position than I thought."

"So you could be working with us soon enough. I'm a CSI level three by the way. I work the graveyard shift."

"That's where I wonna work." Greg smiled up at her.

"Well we could be working together before yah know it. You wonna meet one of the team?" Sara suggested. "Nick Stokes?" Greg's eyes lit up to the sound of the name.

"Sure okay." He smiled sweetly, following her through the cafe towards their table where Nick was digging his fingers in the booth chair beneath him, pissed at Sara for bringing him over here.

"Nick this is Greg Sanders, Greg this is Nick Stokes." She smiled down at Nick.

"We kinda already met." Greg smiled at her. "Thanks for the save by the way." Greg winked at the hunky Texan, wishing he would take him down the way he did his suspect.

"You're welcome." Nick desperately tried not to blush as he scooted along the booth seat for Greg to sit down beside him with his coffee. Sara gave Nick a wide grin as she too took her seat.

"So Greg, did you want some breakfast? It's on me." Sara suggested.

"No thanks, I'm good. I was just heading home to get some sleep."

"Really you work the graveyard shift too?" Nick asked curiously.

"Yep, I'm more of a night time kind of person." He smiled sweetly in Nick's direction, making him melt again. Sara saw the look in Nick's eyes knowing immediately what he meant when he said his smile made him melt. "So what's it like to work as a CSI?" Greg asked them both.

"Well I personally love to solve the crime puzzles they leave behind . . . our supervisor says we're giving a voice to their victims. And it's true. Once we've solved a case I always feel like we've helped that poor victim rest in peace." Sara explained, stealing everything Nick was about to say. "You know what... I really should be going actually." She lied glancing at her watch as she wanted Nick to get to know this handsome young man he had a school boy crush on. "I'll see you tomorrow Nick and I'll catch you later Greg." She smiled warmly, giving Nick a wink.

Nick clenched his teeth together as Sara walked away, leaving some money on their table to pay for their breakfasts. Once Sara was gone Greg turned to Nick, giving him a wide smile.

Nick never felt more awkward in his life.

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**First Uploaded May 9th = Re-edited 6th September 2010**


	6. Chapter 5: First Date

**Chapter Five: First Date?**

"What's your favourite colour?" Greg asked sat across the booth from Nick, fiddling with the straw in his coffee.

"Um... red I guess. You?"

"Chartreuse."

Nick frowned at him curiously. "What's that?"

"Green." He sweetly giggled, lowering his police uniform shirt to reveal the bright green t-shirt underneath. "What's your biggest fear?"

"Biggest . . . Um... bein' buried alive . . . again. What about you?"

"Spiders." Greg cringed as he said it. "I can't stand them. They're all small and hairy. And what do they need so many legs for anyway?" He shivered again as Nick laughed slightly. "It's not funny. As soon as I see a spider I turn into a five year old girl."

"I find that hard to believe." Nick laughed louder, alerting the attention of a few officers as no one in here ever really laughed.

"It's true." Greg giggled, revealing the widest, cutest smile Nick had ever seen. "What about... What's your favourite drink?"

Nick licked his lips trying to think. "Um... it's a tie between Heineken and Stella Artois."

"Yum." Greg licked his lips, cheekily grinning in Nick's direction. "Favourite place to eat?"

"Cheese Cake Factory."

"Ooo, good choice. Favourite cheese cake?" Nick chuckled shaking his head. "What?" Greg asked confused.

"Nothin', is this twenty questions or somethin'?"

"Sorry, I get jittery when I drink too much coffee. We can stop if you want?"

"No, that's okay. I don't mind." Nick smiled up at him. "I like the chocolate one layered with fudge and vanilla with another coat of chocolate..."

"Ooo, the Chocolate Tuxedo Cheese Cake." Greg licked his lips again as he thought about the taste of it. Greg twirled the straw around in his fingers, looking into Nick's dark chocolate brown eyes. They were so open and soulful looking, making Greg just want to stare deep into them for hours on end. "So tell me CSI Stokes, are you a workaholic?"

Nick sighed heavily as he nodded slightly. "How can yah tell?"

"You look a little preoccupied."

"I'm stuck on one of those impossible cases that doesn't have enough evidence to link a killer." Nick looked down into his empty coffee cup, thinking he should get back to work on it, but he didn't want to leave Greg.

"Do you have any hobbies?" Greg asked as he was finishing his coffee. Nick thought about it a moment then shook his head. "Nothing at all?"

"Not really . . . I never really have time. I like to draw . . . but I haven't done it in a while." Nick leant back in the booth, trying to think of anything else he liked to do, but he came up with nothing. "What about you?"

"Tons. I love going to the movies, ice skating, clubbing. I'm not down with the whole drug scene if that's what you're thinking. But standing in a room crowded with people," Nick watched as Greg slid his palm across his chest. "I love to feel the beat of the music against my chest. Plus dancing, best physical contact with another person. Other than sex of course." He grinned watching Nick's cheeks lightly flushing. Oh and I love surfing."

"You can't surf in Vegas." Nick chortled.

"True, I like diving and water sports too."

"Why'd you pick Vegas then?" Nick asked confused.

"I like the city." He smiled up at him. Nick grinned back, glad that Greg did decide to move to this city. "You ever gone sky diving?" Greg asked curiously.

"Nope, I've been paraglidin' though."

"Oh, that's fun." Grinning widely, Greg watched as Nick nervously looked out the window beside him. "Did you wonna get back to work then?"

"No, I'm good here . . . unless you wonna home?"

"I could walk yah." Before Nick could answer Greg was already standing up, pulling his jacket on.

"Okay." Nick pulled his jacket on, straightening his collar as he followed Greg out the front door. "Didn't you drive here?"

"Nope, I walked. You?"

"Sara drove me. My trucks still at the lab." Nick shoved his hands deep into his pockets, following Greg out the parking lot. He led the way off up the road, nervously trying to think of something to say. But luckily, Greg spoke for him again.

"You ever been speed dating?" Greg asked, turning to face him slightly.

"Once with a buddy of mine from college." Nick nodded.

Greg suddenly pulled his sleeve up slightly to look at his watch. "I'll time yah. Tell me anything you want about yourself in two minutes." Nick laughed at the adorable smile across Greg's face. "Okay . . . Go."

"Um..." Nick suddenly tensed up with nerves. "I er... I speak fluent Spanish. I once got kicked out of a car by my girlfriend for accidentally tellin' her that her hair didn't look so great." Greg burst out laughing. "I've never smoked a cigarette . . . or done drugs. I hate peanut butter."

"How can someone hate peanut butter?" Greg chortled. "I love it. Especially PB and J."

"Ew." Nick cringed. "I can't stand peanut butter. Um... I'd consider myself an outgoin' and friendly person. I like to watch Animal Planet and the Discovery channel. I also read a lot of geographic magazines." He bit his lip trying to think of something else. "I've had a gun pulled to my head twice, but I've never been shot . . . and I've had trouble sleepin' since I was buried alive."

"Who wouldn't?" Greg spoke softly. "I think you're really brave for getting on with your life. Times up." Greg smiled back at him.

"So how'd I do?"

"Well you don't like to reveal too much of yourself, but I feel I know yah better."

"Really." Nick smiled in his direction.

Greg nodded then gave him another adorable grin. "But if I was your date, I'd definitely be wanting a call back." He cheekily winked in his direction as he slowly slid his tongue across his lower lip.

"Thanks." Nick nervously answered then pulled up his sleeve to look at his watch. "Your turn."

"You sure you want me to do this? I can talk for hours and hours non-stop." Greg warned him.

"Sure, two minutes . . . start now."

"I'm from California; my full name is Gregory Hojem Sanders. I'm from Norwegian decent on my Papa and Nana Olaf's side. My natural hair colour is dark brown." Nick smiled looking at the bleached streaks through Greg's sandy brown hair. "I have 20/20 vision; I've never broken a bone. I don't always wear a police uniform. I like ripped jeans, sneakers or bowling shoes and colourful t-shirts. I'm an only child. My mom's super overprotective so I never got to play sports in school. I couldn't ride a bike until I was ten. I used to go sailing with my dad on his boat all the time as a kid. I love Blue Hawaiian coffee, 40 bucks a pound. I used to smoke and do drugs in New York, haven't touched the stuff for years though." He promised as Nick looked over at him surprised. "I was captain of my Highschool Chess Team, on the bowling team too. Only sports I ever got into..."

"You can't count chess as a sport." Nick chuckled.

"I can too. I was the Captain of the team." He chortled back. "My Papa Olaf left me his coin collection after he passed, which I still collect and go to conventions and things."

"They have coin conventions?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I love cars, movies, Marilyn Manson and computer games . . . how much time I got left?" Nick looked at his watched realising it had been four minutes, but he was enjoying listening to Greg talking so he didn't stop him. "Want me to keep going?"

"If you insist." Nick nodded. "What kinda movies do you like?"

"Romance ones aren't so bad. I love a good action movie. Horrors are the best though. Big George Romero flick fan. I love comedies..."

"So pretty much any genre?" Nick laughed.

"Exactly. Want me to keep talking?" Nick nodded, watching the adorable grin spread across Greg's face again. "Okay . . . I don't have any allergies. I've always wanted a dog, but I've never had a pet. I've never been in a serious relationship. Never got anyone pregnant . . . as far as I know." He smirked making Nick laugh. "I stole a car when I was twelve."

"Twelve? Whaddya steal?" Nick asked shocked.

"My Papa Olaf's car. I drove it round the block twice then parked it back in perfect condition." He chuckled. "I also consider myself open minded when it comes to relationships." He subtly added, looking at Nick as he started to blush. "I'm not seeing anyone and ever since I met this gorgeous CSI who kicked this guys ass . . . I haven't been able to get him out of my mind."

"The CSI or the other guy?" Nick asked even though he was sure he knew the answer.

"What do you think?" Greg grinned then changed the subject as he watched Nick blushing for the hundredth time. "So what's the most unusual case you've ever worked?"

"Um... probably the Casino Boss Bruce Eiger," was the first case that came to his mind. "He had a Paraphilic infantilism." He told him, still walking with him on the early morning streets of Las Vegas still coated in darkness.

"Oh Yeah, I saw that on the news." Greg remembered, turning to face him. "They never said he was a DL though."

"DL?" Nick questioned.

"Diaper Lover." He laughed softly. "So a DL is the weirdest case you ever came across?"

"No, one of the weirdest for me though coz I never heard of it before we worked it."

"What if I told you I was a DL?" Greg asked, glancing up into Nick's eyes. "Would you think I was weird?"

"No." Nick gulped as he shook his head. "Another case was this Plushies and Furries convention, people dressing up as animals to get sexually involved with each other. We found one guy in a racoon suit that was our original DB; we thought he was road kill at first." Nick nervously tried to change the subject in case Greg was being serious about the Diaper Lover thing.

"Huh, strange." Greg snickered. "You ever been involved with a case yourself?"

"Yep, a couple." Nick nodded, not sure whether it was appropriate to reveal that he was once accused of murdering someone he slept with on what seemed to be a first date experience with Greg. So he picked the next one that came to his mind that he was also trying to forget. "I had his crazy stalker sleepin' in my attic once." Greg raised his eyebrows surprised. "He tossed me out of second story window too."

"Ouch. That had to hurt."

"Yep, I broke two ribs, got five stitches in my head." He indicated to the scar on his forehead. "And I got a concussion . . . then he tried to kill me again at my house. He wore my clothes too which really crept me out. I moved house, installed a new advanced security system and bought a load of new clothes." Nick cringed as he thought about it again.

"Creepy." Greg whispered softly, feeling a shiver run up his spine as they continued to walk together. "So where you from?"

"Texas, Dallas. You're from California didn't cha say?"

"Yep, San Gabriel." Nick was beginning to feel as though this was really a first date from the questions they were asking each other and Greg's subtle flirtatious smiles and comments. So far he was beginning to like it, enjoying Greg's company too.

"So where'd you go to college?" Greg queried.

"Texas A&M University, you?"

"Stanford." Greg sweetly smiled at him. "What's your date of birth?" He asked curiously.

"Why would you need to know that?" Nick asked, turning slightly to face him.

"Humour me."

"18th of August, 1971."

"Thirty three, huh? And a Leo." Greg smiled round at him again. "Did you know Leo's are born fortunate, charismatic and positive thinking? They attract not only an abundance of friends and opportunities, but manage to survive life's stormy times. They're also very devoted and faithful too." Greg added, cheekily licking his lips.

"You know a lot about Leo's, huh?" Nick smiled at him, trying not to blush as that sounded a lot like him. "What's your sign?"

"Taurus. Apparently that means underneath my hard exterior I'm cool, calm and collected. In love we're regarded as extreme sensual beings too." He rasped, watching Nick trying to hide his blush. "So how'd you become a CSI?" He asked changing the subject for him again.

"I spent my first three years out of college as a policeman for the Dallas Police force. I then transferred to the lab there workin' as a hair and fibres analyst. I got promoted to a CSI level one there before I decided to get away from the Stokes name."

"Whaddya parents do?"

"My dad's a Texas State Supreme Court Judge and my mom's a public defender."

"They want you to live up to their expectations?" Nick nodded. "I know that feeling all too well." Greg said with a smirk. "You got brothers or sisters?"

"One brother, five sisters."

"Wow. So you're the youngest of seven."

"How'd yah know I was the youngest?" Nick asked curiously.

"Youngest is usually the rebel and you're too young to be the oldest." He chuckled sweetly. "So what made you move two states away from your family?"

"Well my brother and sisters kinda followed in my parents lead with the high powered careers, married with a handful kids, complete with the family pets. I was the only one that enjoyed science out of them all, so I picked a career where I could do my own thing and still live up to their expectations." Nick nervously started to ramble. "I wanted to lay down my own roots and establish my own identity, yah know." Greg nodded as he understood that too. "So I choose Vegas, where I worked in the DNA lab a few years before I started to work in the field." Nick explained.

"Do you prefer the field?"

"Definitely . . . in the lab you just get to check over the evidence everyone else is bringing in. They're the ones solvin' the cases, even if you do your part . . . I didn't feel like it was enough, yah know."

"What was the first case you worked?" Greg asked curiously.

"I'm beginning to feel like I'm on an interview here Sanders." He nervously laughed. "My hands are startin' to sweat."

"Sorry." Greg giggled softly. "So which way?" He asked as they stopped at the next junction.

Nick pointed ahead, taking the lead. "What was the question?"

"First case?"

"Right . . . my first case was a B it turned out to be staged so the owner could collect the insurance money."

"Huh." Greg nodded, looking deep into Nick's eyes.

"So what got you into wantin' to be a CSI?" Nick asked, turning the line of questioning over to Greg.

"Well I interned for two semesters as an entry level tech for the San Francisco Police Department. I always wanted to be a scientist as a kid too. My dad told me science was for geeks and the romantically challenged, but that didn't stop me; science club in Highschool then I majored in chemistry in college and I know you think I'm a total geek." He nervously laughed.

"No I'm not thinkin' that; I woulda loved to join the science club in Highschool instead of havin' to live up to my father's expectations of joinin' the football team." Nick smiled at him. "What did yah do after college?"

"Joined the Crime Lab in New York for a year before a position opened up in the DNA lab in the Los Angeles Crime Lab where my dad works as a Detective. Now I'm here on my pursuit to become a field CSI like you."

"Why didn't you try in LA?" Nick couldn't let on that he spoke to Greg's father while he was there, he'd seem like some crazy stalker or something.

"I did try. That's the trouble with having very overprotective parents. My mom used to take me to the emergency room if I had the slightest nose bleed or headache. They completely freaked when there was a lab explosion..."

"Jeez, you were involved in a lab explosion?" Nick gasped shocked.

"Yep, I got these scars all over my back to prove it. You'd think they were hideous if you saw em." Greg smiled up at him. Nick looked into Greg's gorgeous sparkling brown eyes that perfectly reflected the moonlight in them, thinking there wasn't a single thing in the world that could make Greg look hideous to him.

They walked a little further up the street in complete silence, until they arrived outside of Nick's house. "Well here we are." Nick broke the silence pointing to his house. "You want me to give you a lift to your place? Or... did you wonna maybe come in?" Nick awkwardly suggested.

Greg looked up at Nick's place then looked deeply into Nick's chocolate brown eyes trying to think straight. "Um... could we maybe take a rain check?" He asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets, showing his first signs of insecurities since they started talking.

"Sure." Nick nodded, looking down at the keys in his hands, slightly disappointed, but slightly relieved at the same time.

"Thanks for the walk and talk." Greg smiled sweetly at him again making Nick's heart melt for the thousandth time that night. "Maybe we can do it again sometime?" He hoped.

"Sure." Nick nodded, trying to contain an excited grin from spreading across his lips. "I can give you my number." Nick pulled his card from his wallet, handing it over to Greg. "Maybe we could talk again sometime?"

"Okay . . . I'll see yah later, CSI Stokes." He grinned widely.

"You too, Officer Sanders." Greg waved back to him as he walked off down the street.

Nick sighed heavenly as he watched him go. He slowly turned around heading for his front door to get a couple hours of sleep before he headed into work again to get on with his case. He didn't know how much Greg was into him, but he was really starting to have strong feelings for him; feelings he had never felt before he laid eyes on Greg Sanders. He felt like he'd known him for years from all the things they discussed. They shared so much of themselves on what appeared to be a first date.

Nick had never done that before.

Nick dropped his keys on the side, heading round to his kitchen to grab a beer from his fridge. For the first time since he was rescued from the coffin he felt alive. The long walk and talk back home with Greg really did help him, even if they did only talk about the basics of work and how they got into their careers; it was the best conversation of his life with a man he was slowly beginning to fall for. He didn't understand his feelings as he had never felt them for a man before, but so far he liked these feelings beginning to build up inside of him. They were new and exciting and he wanted to explore them further.

Nick jumped as his phone started to ring. He was hoping that he wasn't being called back into work yet as he was really tired and he had only just got home.

Nick looked at the number he didn't recognise on his screen, slowly snapping it open. "Stokes." He answered professionally.

"_Just wanted to check I had the right number." _Greg's voice echoed through the phone, immediately putting a wide smile on Nick's face. "_You know most people give out false numbers as a way of blowing off people."_

"Well I can't imagine anyone ever doin' that to you." Nick replied, finding it strange that he was actually being flirtatious towards him.

"_So what are yah doing for dinner tomorrow?" _Greg asked him as if he was asking him out on another date.

Nick nervously bit his lip a moment in deep thought. "Um... probably a microwaved burrito."

"_Do you wonna maybe go out for dinner with me?" _Greg suggested. "_Unless you're really looking forward to your burrito."_

Nick chuckled shaking his head as he sat on the arm on his sofa, trying to think straight. For what seemed like an endless moment he listened to the younger mans breathing, trying to make up his mind. "Sure . . . okay that sounds good."

"_So what time?" _Greg excitedly asked.

Nick clenched his teeth together as he tried to think. "Um... how about I call yah when I get off work. I never know what time I'm gonna finish."

"_Okay, see yah later CSI Stokes. Sleep tight."_

"You too . . . bye Sanders."

"_Bye." _Nick snapped his cell phone shut, dropping heavily onto the sofa beneath him. He was both excited and terrified of what was going to happen.

* * *

"Good morning." Sandra smiled as she entered her father's bedroom with a breakfast tray of scrambled eggs and toast. She was once again greeted by the young man's smile and brightly shinning green eyes. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes thank you. No nightmares and I didn't wake up in pain for the first time." He reported, leaning against the headrest as she set the tray down on his lap. "Thank you Sandy."

"You're welcome." She sat on the edge of the bed to watch him eating again, still wondering who this strange man was and what his recent memories about the man telling him to kill meant.

"Mmmm, thank you. That was delicious." He smiled widely at her, licking his lips.

"You're welcome . . . so do you remember anything new today?"

"No . . . sorry Sandy. I don't remember anything."

"That's okay. It'll come back . . . just give it time." She assured him. "You can stay with us as long as you like. I mean if you want to?"

"Course I will." He chuckled. "You're the only people I know."

"That's true." She joined him in a laugh, picking up the breakfast tray from his lap. "I'll be back in a minute to change your bandages for you."

"Thanks." He smiled, watching her leaving. Sandra walked downstairs to the kitchen where her father was waiting for her.

"Morning Dad. What's up?"

He shook his head at her, looking at the glow in her eyes. "Nothing sweetheart. How's he doing?"

"Okay . . . he still doesn't know who he is."

"That's probably for the best." He muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Sandra to hear.

"Do you know who he is?" She confronted him, setting the tray down on the side.

"He's not a good guy sweetheart." He tried to tell her before she got too attached to him. On the most part he had tried to keep his nineteen year old daughter away from all men to keep her innocence intact. He couldn't let her fall all gooey eyed over one of his experiments.

"Then why's he in our house?"

"He was wounded . . . I couldn't just leave him to die. I need you to do me a favour and keep him upstairs. We can't let him out of here. I'm working on something down in the lab that will help him."

"Help him do what?"

"Erase his mind." Her father simply said, disappearing out the back door to return to his lab.

Sandra leant against the sink in front of her in total confusion. She didn't understand how he could be dangerous; he was so nice to her. Why was her father going to erase his mind? The mind of the only friend she's made since her mother died.

* * *

**Please Review. I hope you enjoyed the first date banter. I had great fun writing it.**

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**First Uploaded May 9th = Re-edited 6th September 2010**


	7. Chapter 6: Maybe

**Chapter Six: Maybe**

Nick groaned angrily to the sound of his buzzing alarm clock. He reached over the side of the bed; sleepily slamming his hand down on the top until it stopped then forced himself to roll off the side, just managing to straighten his legs out in time before he fell face first to the ground.

Nick stumbled down the hall to the bathroom, rubbing his eyes as he stripped his pyjama bottoms off, climbing into the shower for a refreshing hose down. While he was showering he encountered an rising problem between his hips as he kept thinking about Greg.

As Nick closed his eyes he could see Greg's gorgeous smile, his deliciously bright chocolate eyes with a swirl of caramel in them. The cute little bleached spikes throughout his hair made him look young and adorable.

Nick wanted to kiss his soft lips, he wanted to run his fingers through Greg's silky smooth hair while their tongues entwined. He wanted to wrap his arms around Greg's body and hold him close, never wanting to let go for fear of losing him.

Nick soon found that changing the temperature of the water wasn't going to help him out in any way. The image of Greg was still firmly planted in his mind and the problem between his hips was only increasing.

He saw only one solution left.

Nick took hold of his hardened member, slowly starting to pump his hand up and down his shaft, moaning softly as he started to feel the familiar tingles in the pit of his stomach as he thought about Greg.

It wasn't long before he started to shudder, shooting a load of warm seed into his hand with Greg's name on his lips; completely surprising Nick as he had no intention of moaning the young man's name, but he couldn't keep the name escaping from his lips.

The more he thought about him, the more he wanted Greg's naked body pressed up against his own which was very strange to him as he had never before thought of another man in that way.

Nick quickly finished getting ready for work, grabbed himself a coffee then head off to work trying to focus on his case to keep these new feelings he was experiencing deep down inside of him.

"Ah Nicky, good you're here." Grissom smiled, handing him a white slip. "I need you and Sara to work this 419."

"I never finished my case yesterday."

"Well something tells me that this case is related to both of yours, so it might help you out on finding your suspect." Grissom explained, heading off towards the breakroom to give Catherine and Warrick their case's for the day.

Nick looked down at the slip in his hands, reading the address. He looked at it curiously before he head back down to the garage where Sara was already waiting by his truck with two coffee's in her hands. "Hey Nick, you walk in this morning?" She smiled widely at him.

"No, I took a taxi. Before you go thinkin' anythin' in that over active brain of yours I spent the night _alone_ at my place."

"Okay." She slyly smiled, climbing into the passenger seat.

"Don't spill those." He warned her, climbing into the driver's seat. "So what makes Grissom think this case is tied in with ours?" He asked starting up his truck.

"Oh he didn't tell you? The victims name is James Wight."

"My victim's father?"

Sara nodded round at him. "Exactly . . . you said they were missing, well they turned up."

"They?" Nick questioned. "Griss didn't say this was a double."

"It is. It's James Wight and his wife Marion Wight. Both dead in their car. C'mon." She pointed to the road in front of her, indicating for him to hurry up.

"Why does he never tell me this stuff?"

"Well did you ask Nicky?" She smirked as he shook his head. "See, I know this stuff coz I asked."

* * *

"Hey Captain Brass, what brings you here?" Mandy asked, looking up from her work.

"This letter was dropped on my desk last night sometime. Can you check it for prints?" He asked, holding the letter with a white cloth.

"Sure." She nodded. Brass watched as she pulled some gloves, taking the letter from his hands. She dusted it then took a look under the magnifying glass. "I've got some useable prints here." She informed him.

"Thank you Mandy . . . page me if you get anything." She nodded again, watching him head off down the hall to Grissom's office. "Hi Gil . . . you got a minute?"

"Sure." Grissom nodded, sorting through the heaps of paper work on his desk.

Brass closed the office door, taking a few steps closer towards Grissom's desk. "I think my daughters missing."

Grissom looked up over his glasses curiously. "You think or you know?"

"Well I can't find her at any of her usual haunts. She's not answering her phone and..." Brass trailed off as he looked up into Grissom's eyes. "There was a note left on my desk, saying if I wanted to see my daughter alive again I would have to reopen a case . . . not only that but a picture of my daughter was stolen off my desk."

"What case did they want you to reopen?"

"1995 Red Rock Bank Robbery." Grissom frowned as he dropped down into his chair. "Something wrong?" Brass asked curiously.

"No . . . just Nick said something about that case file missing yesterday and Sara was reading through a Detective Burrow's notes on..."

"Detective Anthony Burrow?" Brass questioned, interrupting him.

"I believe so." Grissom nodded, wishing he had paid more attention to his CSI's when they asked him for help. "You think whoever is murdering these people is the same person who sent you the note?"

"I don't know. I gave it to Mandy to check for prints." Brass dropped into the chair in front of Grissom's desk, carefully straightening his tie. "Why that case though? It was just a bank robbery, a failed bank robbery of that."

"What happened?"

Brass scratched his chin as he tried to recall the details. "A few hostages were shot . . . I think all the robbers were killed too. It was on the news for weeks. Detective Anthony Burrow lost his job over it. I think his wife was involved somehow . . . I don't remember all the details that well. I think another officer lost their job too."

"Why?" Grissom asked curiously.

"I don't know . . . I think he shot a hostage or something. Maybe we should reopen the case and find out." Brass suggested.

"Sounds good. Keep me posted and share your findings with Nick and Sara. Their suspect may be the same person who has your daughter. We'll get her back Jim." Grissom assured him.

"Thanks Gil." Brass smiled, climbing to his feet as he slowly head out the office, back down to his office to find the case file.

* * *

"So you just talked?" Sara asked curiously as she looked through the driver's side window at the brutally smashed skull of James Wight.

"Sara, do we have to talk about this now?" Nick asked frustrated. "Yeah we talked . . . we talked about work and the colleges we went to and where our lives our now. That's all."

"But that's a good thing." She smiled over at him. "You arrange for a second date?"

"No . . . because that wasn't a date. It was a walk and talk between potential friends." He lied to her.

"Sure." She chuckled in a sarcastic tone. "So did you give him your number or he give you yours?" Nick blushed, turning his head away so he didn't have to answer that question.

"I got skid marks here." He shouted from the road.

"That's not something you wonna shout around newbie's." Sara smirked to him as the young officers by the tape started laughing.

"Skid marks?" He asked confused.

"Exactly." Sara couldn't help but laugh. She soon stopped as Nick gave her a frown informing her to grow up. "You think they lost control of their vehicle or they were forced off the road?" She asked, directing her torch light across the road.

"Well..." Nick knelt down to pick up a piece of headlight glass. "When you lose control of your vehicle . . . your back head lights aren't usually smashed first . . . this looks like road rage." Nick noted.

"Hey wasn't there red paint on the back of our vic's car?" Sara asked, heading back towards the car to inspect it further before Nick could answer. "Nick there's red paint!" She shouted back.

"Yeah? And?" He asked confused as he watched her scrapping a sample into an evidence bag.

"And John Walder's killer drove a _red_ Ford Sedan Nick. If this is our same guy..."

"Then he used the same car." Nick nodded as he caught on to what she was saying. He looked around at the lights overhead, looking for a traffic camera or anything, but there was nothing, making their jobs that little bit harder. "Where is David?" He suddenly snapped, looking at his watch. "We've been here just over an hour now."

"Maybe it's a busy day again?" Sara suggested. "Wonna follow the tracks?" She asked, pointing her flashlight in the direction of the tire tracks. "We can find out where the road rage started from?"

"Sure I'm in. You gonna be warm enough though?" He indicated to the short sleeved t-shirt she was wearing beneath her CSI vest.

Nick immediately pulled his own jacket off, handing it over to her. "Thanks." She smiled at the gentlemanly gesture.

"No problem." Nick grabbed his camera and some markers, starting to follow the tire tracks up the road by the light of Sara's flashlight.

* * *

"Archie . . . what have yah got for me?" Grissom asked, walking into the lab.

"I checked the precinct security cameras like you asked." Archie pulled the images up onto the larger screen for Grissom to see. "The letter was delivered by this young woman." He enlarged an image of the young woman with long flowing locks of brown hair. "I've run her face through every tracking system we have, but I came up with nothing. She walked to the front desk first . . . but then look." Archie ran the tape forwards, switching to another camera as the young woman entered the hallway to hand deliver the note to Brass's desk. "Then watch her hands as she comes out." Archie pointed. Grissom watched the young ladies hands as she stepped out of the office.

"Can you enlarge that?" Grissom pointed.

"Yep." Archie zoomed in on her hands, focusing on what she dropped into her bag.

"Is that a picture?"

"Looks like." Archie zoomed in a little more, sharpening the image.

"So she delivered the note then stole his picture?"

"I don't think it was on purpose either." Grissom looked at him confused. "Look at this angle from across the hall." Archie switched the camera angle, showing the young woman walking behind the desk and dropping the note. Grissom watched as she went to walk away, turning back suddenly as the picture caught her eye.

"Can you enlarge that and back it up slightly?" Grissom requested. Archie nodded, backing the video up then zooming in on the young woman's actions. Grissom watched again as she went to step away from the desk until she noticed the picture. "You may be right. It's like she recognised it or something."

"You think she's involved in the kidnapping?"

"If she was she would have known the girl and not looked at the picture like that. I believe she was a messenger. Do you have angles of her leaving?"

"Yep." Archie loaded up another tape.

"Can you find out what she got here in?" Archie nodded, following the young woman on the cameras towards her car.

"That's her car." Archie pointed.

"Can you get in closer?"

"Nope . . . we have a blind spot." Archie groaned. He followed her car as it left, just able to get the make and model of the car but the licence plates were too low for the camera to see. "Looks like a 1946 Red Ford Sedan. The exact same make and model... and colour as the one from Sara's crime scene yesterday." Archie informed him.

"Who was the driver?"

"It was a young man in a hooded sweatshirt. We couldn't get an ID." Archie explained.

"Can you run that car make and model through every database we have then narrow down a list of owners in the Las Vegas area then we'll work outwards?"

"Sure, no problem." Archie nodded.

"Thanks Archie." Grissom headed out of the AV lab off towards Mandy in the print lab. "You get any hits yet off Brass's letter?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of?" He asked confused. "How only sort of?"

"Well ones a partial palm print . . . of an unknown. The other three are partials of overlapping fingerprints. We've got a combination of loops and arches, but I can't separate them as they're too degraded."

"Try harder." He instructed her firmly, heading back out the lab off towards the breakroom. "Catherine has Nick or Sara checked in yet?"

"Nope. Grissom, do I really have to babysit this new CSI while the rest of you are out working this big case. I don't wonna be left in charge of another rookie."

"Holly wasn't your fault Catherine." He told her firmly, grabbing a can of coke from the fridge instead of even trying the coffee today. "What happened to Holly Gribbs couldn't be stopped."

"No right, but it tore up Warrick too. I don't wonna be left in charge of a newbie. Especially if he talks as much as you say."

"He has an interest in old Las Vegas, you know a lot about that. I'm sure you'll get on fine. Just show him around and I'll try and find an easy going case for the two of you to solve."

"The two of us? Or am I in the supervisory role for him?" She asked, leaning against the counter beside him.

"No the two of you together. He's already past his field test. He's a CSI level One. I just need to know if he works well with my team." He smiled at her, heading for the door. "And he doesn't talk _that_ much." He lied to her with an devious grin.

"I'm gonna get you back for this one someday Gil!" She shouted after him. Grissom just replied by turning slowly to show her his wider grin.

* * *

Nick took another snap shot, setting down another marker beside a piece of broken headlight. "Think our trail stops here!" He shouted back to Sara.

"Finally, it's freaking freezing out here." She shivered, rubbing her arms to keep herself warm. Nick looked round at her with a wide grin on his face. "You want your jacket back?"

"No, the cold doesn't bother me." Nick climbed to his feet, photographing the glass from another angle. He then looked around at the empty street surrounded in desert. "There's no houses or anythin' out here . . . so what were James and Marion Wight doin' out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Where do they live?" Sara asked, carefully stepping over the glass.

"They live in town with their daughters. They all still live under the same roof. If they got our message about their daughter's death then why would they drive out here instead of headin' straight for the police station?"

"It's a puzzler." Sara shivered.

"That's helpful." He remarked.

"Sorry . . . I can't think when I'm cold." She hunched her shoulders together as she started to shiver again. "Maybe they were taking the scenic route?" Nick sarcastically raised his eyebrows at her. "Maybe they like the desert . . . or they have a hunting lodge of something up here. Or maybe..."

"You're comin' up with too many maybes!" He snapped at her.

"Sorry. Have we got enough evidence to head back now?"

"Well we got skid marks, tire tracks from two cars, headlight glass and paint scrapin's. Along with two DB's and no coroner."

"Unless he's up there now waiting for us?" Sara suggested. "We did walk a good two miles Nick." Nick grabbed the flashlight from her shaky hands to inspect the headlight glass on the ground. "What?"

"This glass is tainted."

"Tainted?" Sara queried.

"Yeah . . . none of the glass back there was." Nick noted, shoving a piece into an evidence bag.

"What colour?" Sara asked as Nick handed the bag over to her to look at. "Blue? What kinda headlights are blue?" She asked.

"Tainted ones." He remarked sarcastically, starting to head back towards their crime scene.

"It doesn't look on purpose though. It looks like it's only around the edge. Maybe a bad repaint job?" She suggested.

"A rookie repaint job?" Nick asked, following his markers back.

"Yeah . . . maybe the car used to be blue, or another colour before that? Maybe..."

"Sara!" Nick scolded her as she kept saying 'maybe' again.

"Sorry." She smiled innocently, following him back through the markers. "All I was gonna say is maybe the tainted glass is from a different car, completely not related to this case."

"You might be right. But let's get this stuff back to the lab to see if our road rage car was this mysterious Ford Sedan of yours."

"Okay." She nodded. "So when are you seeing Greg again?"

"Sara, would you please shut up?" He requested. "I'm not datin' him."

"Do you wish you were?" Nick rolled his eyes at her, deciding to ignore her. "C'mon Nick. I just wonna know." Sara ran alongside him to keep up with the long strides he was taking.

"Have you taken on the role of my fairy god mother or somethin'?"

"You know the funniest thing is that you haven't told me you're not gay!" She chortled. "Usually that's the first thing in a guy in your position would say."

"Okay then. I'm not gay, I've dated women."

"That doesn't make you not gay!" She laughed.

"I'm bisexual or whatever then. Would you please shut up? This is work time!"

"Sure." She nodded, walking alongside him for a moment's silence before she asked, "so are you gonna ask him out?"

"Sara!" Nick shouted annoyed. "Stop playin' matchmaker. I can get my own dates. Maybe Greg's not gay, did you ever think of that?"

"Hey look, Davids just arrived." She pointed into the distance changing the subject.

"Bout time." Nick mumbled, glad Sara finally got off the subject, but now he was worried that Greg wasn't gay, even though he told him he's very open minded when it comes to relationships.

"Hey David." Sara shouted giving him a wave.

"Hi guys . . . I'm so sorry I'm late. I got lost." David smiled softly.

"Ever heard of a sat nav?" Nick asked sarcastically, starting to shiver in the cold.

"Yeah, that was the thing that got me lost." He chuckled, heading over to the DB's. "Looks like they didn't die from the crash."

"How can you tell?" Sara asked.

"By the big ol' bullet wounds in their heads." Nick remarked at her with a smug grin. "You didn't catch that?" He chuckled in a mocking tone. Sara gave him an evil frown, watching as the coroners helped David lift the wife's body from the car to a sheet outside it.

"Looks like a through and through." David told them as he checked over the body.

"I got it." Sara noticed a sparkly metallic object wedged in the back seat. She pulled open the back door, carefully removing it with her tweezers. "Hey Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"I got a bullet . . . what kinda bullets did you say were used to kill the twins?"

"357 Magnum bullets." Nick stepped around the car to look at the bullet in Sara's tweezers. "Same type." He nodded. "Looks like it is our same killer then."

"Our mystery killer? David can you determine the time of death?" Sara asked curiously.

"I'd say about forty eight hours." He told them, checking the body's liver temperature.

"What's your theory Sara?" Nick asked her, watching her shivering in his large jacket. Sara bit her lip as she looked around at the road then at the damage of the car. "Sara?"

"Well your twins were a body dump, right?" Nick nodded. "And you said you saw this hooded guy by the tape?" Nick nodded again, wondering what her point was. "Did he have blood on his clothes?"

"No . . . not that I remember."

"And he wasn't shot either?" She asked next, only making Nick more and more frustrated with her.

"No . . . he seemed fine. What's your point Sara?"

"I think . . . our killer dumped the twins bodies then headed off to John Walder's house. He killed John Walder with a knife. But with a stabbing like that he woulda got blood all over himself, including his own blood as he was shot. This road..." Sara pointed. "If you keep going in that direction you get to John Walder's house . . . if you go in this direction you end up towards the Freeway heading straight for..."

"LA." Nick finished for her. "But if your vic John Walder did shoot our mystery killer. Why would he go on a four hour drive off towards LA to kill Detective Burrow?" Nick asked her.

"I don't know . . . maybe he wasn't shot that badly. Did you get a TOD from this Detective Burrow?" Nick thought about it a moment then shook his head. "Nicky!" She sighed heavily.

"Sorry, I forgot. I can call and ask... no big deal." He pulled out his cell phone, dialling the Detectives number.

"You missed a vital piece of evidence though Nicky." Sara huffed at him. Nick frowned at her with annoyance as he walked back towards his truck with his cell phone in hand.

"_Detective Sanders." _The Detective answered after three rings.

"Hi, this is Nick Stokes from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Did you manage to determine the time of death of your victim Detective Anthony Burrow?"

"_Ah Nick... yes we did." _Nick heard the shuffling of paper work as he waited for his answer. "_Yep . . . here it is. The coroner put the Detectives time of death at three days ago."_

"Three days ago? Thanks so much." Nick snapped his phone shut then walked over to Sara. "Sara! How does your theory workout when Detective Anthony Burrow was killed about three days ago?"

"Oh . . . three days ago?" She questioned looking around. "Well it doesn't." She sighed heavily. "Maybe he killed Burrow first before he came here to kill the twins their parents then my vic John Walder. No, no . . . maybe he didn't kill the Detective. Maybe it's a copy cat killer. Maybe we missed something back there . . . or maybe the guy you saw at your crime scene is our main suspect. But why would he be staking it out? Or maybe..."

"Sara!" Nick shouted in annoyance.

* * *

**Pleas review and let me know what you thought :D**

* * *

**First Uploaded May 9th = Re-edited 6th September 2010**


	8. Chapter 7: The Mystery

**Chapter Seven: The Mystery**

"So... What have we got so far?" Grissom asked Nick and Sara.

"The first victim of our mystery killer was Detective Anthony Burrow. He died three days ago from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. The bullet was a 357 Magnum and witnesses saw a man in a black hooded sweatshirt with very green eyes." Nick started to explain. "Then our killer dumped off Kelsey and Chelsea Wight. Kelsey died of a double gunshot wound to the chest. Both bullets were from the same 357 Magnum. Her sister Chelsea died of a single gunshot wound to the back of the head by the same kind of bullet. At the scene I saw a young man in a dark hooded sweatshirt with green eyes."

"Right." Sara jumped to her feet to go through her evidence with him. "Then my victim John Walder died of eleven stab wounds to his major organs. He also had defensive wounds on his hands and he himself emptied a round of his own gun into the wall. All the bullets were accounted for, except for one that hit its target. The DNA came back as an unknown..."

"The same unknown profile from the Anthony Burrow murder." Nick jumped in so Sara wouldn't get all the credit. "Apparently the killer spat on Burrows suit jacket and that's how we got the DNA match."

"Right, then the witnesses from my crime scene saw a 1946 red Ford Sedan parked out the front of John Walder's house about ten minutes before they heard the gunshots in his house. They also said a man in a black hooded sweatshirt entered Mr Walder's apartment around 10:30pm. Then he got back in the car and left. Archie checked over the tapes but we couldn't get an ID on the guy or the plates from the car." Sara explained, handing over the snap shots from the security footage.

"And, what did you get from this case?" Grissom asked, looking over all the evidence in front of him from the case they were currently working on.

"The car was involved in road rage; the road rage started about two miles back from their crash." Nick explained, grabbing the pile of pictures they took. "We found headlight glass from both the victim's car and another unknown along with a third set of tainted glass. But we think that's from a separate incident as it looks older."

Grissom nodded understanding everything so far, thinking his CSI's had done a great job with what they had to work with. "And the victims? Did you get the autopsy reports back?"

Sara nodded taking over. "Marion Wight died of a single gunshot wound to the head. We found the bullet lodged in the back seat, meaning she was shot front to back, so the killer would have to have got out of his car to shoot them." She explained, showing Grissom the pictures from the front of the car. "David did however manage to determine that James Wight was shot while he was dead. Maybe the killer just wanted to make sure he was dead."

"So James Wight died of the crash?" Grissom asked. They both nodded, showing him the autopsy reports and photos. "Okay . . . so what else have you got?"

Before Nick could speak, Sara cut him off again. "Well the knife that was used to kill John Walder had a print on it that belonged to a Louis O'Ryan." Sara handed over his record. "He was busted once for drug possession. But look at his eyes."

"Bright green." Grissom noted. "You think he's your prime suspect?" He asked them both. Sara and Nick looked at each other trying to think. "So you don't know?"

"Well we don't have his DNA on file. We don't have an address or drivers licence either." Sara added. "But if his print was on the knife in the victim's blood. My guess is his blood is our unknown."

"We can't work with your guess work Sara." Grissom informed her. "It won't hold up in the court room."

"Even though it's a good theory?" She asked.

"You need proof to back it up. So did Archie give you the list of 1946 red Ford Sedans in the Las Vegas area?" Grissom asked them both.

"Yes . . . he gave us a list." Nick grabbed it from the stake of their evidence, showing Grissom the full two pages worth of cars.

"I guess they're not as rare as we thought." Sara smirked, dropping heavily into her chair.

"So you've hit another dead end?" Grissom asked them both. They both nodded again, leaning back in their seats. "Well Archie and I looked over some security footage. We've got you a new face to work with. We need to find out who this young lady is..."

"Why, what's she got to do with it?" Sara asked taking the picture from his hands.

"She drove the 1946 red Ford Sedan into our parking lot and delivered a ransom note straight to Brass's desk along with stealing a picture off his desk then drove out in that exact same car." Grissom smiled to them, handing over the new evidence then heading out the conference room.

Sara looked up at Nick, watching him roll his eyes with frustration. "What's up Nicky?"

"Well this gives us somethin' new at least . . . but we got another unknown and we still can't get the plates on the car." He moaned. "Where's this ransom note then?" Sara handed him the photocopy of the note. "See..." He pointed. "I told you the Bank has somethin' to do with all of this."

"But what? I read through Detective Burrows notes. All the robbers are dead. One hostage was killed and two cops lost their jobs. It's nothing out of the ordinary."

"Who's the other cop?" Nick asked curiously.

"Julian Tanner. He was the leader of the SWAT team back then that infiltrated the bank. He shot a hostage; there was a big investigation on it. Press had a field day then Julian was forced to quit." She explained.

"What does he look like?"

"He doesn't have green eyes." Sara smiled up at Nick. "You think he'd be working from a revenge angle?"

"Dunno. What's your vic's name again?"

"John Walder." Sara rested her elbow on the edge of the table, slumping her chin into her hand. "But John doesn't have anything to do with the bank robbery. Your twin's father was a security guard there. Detective Burrow worked the case with Brass . . . but Walder was never there..."

"Whoa, hold that thought." Nick stopped her.

"What?" Sara climbed off her chair to look over Nick's shoulder. "What's that?"

"This is a list of the bank robbers. Look Tommy Walder." He pointed. "He was the first one shot as the police raided the bank."

"You think Tommy and John are related?" Sara asked, glancing down the rest of the list.

"Well our mystery murderer guy killed a security guards kids. He might be killin' the kids or family members of the bank robbers too?" Nick suggested. "You find out how they're related." Nick told her, climbing to his feet as he pulled his jacket on.

"Wait. Where are you going?"

"Follow up on a lead." He simply said, straightening his jacket collar as he made his way off down the hall. Sara sighed heavily, taking her notes with her to the AV lab to look into Tommy and John Walder's past.

* * *

Grissom walked with Greg down the hall towards Catherine stood in the breakroom. "Catherine. This is Greg Sanders. Greg this is..."

"Catherine Willows." Catherine interrupted, firmly shaking the new recruits hand as she looked at his crazy hairstyle. "Nice to meet you Greg. You got a case for us then Gil?" She asked as she wanted to skip all the boring small talk and get to work.

"Yep, B&E." Grissom handed the slip over to Catherine. She snatched it from his hands, reading the address.

"I'm driving. C'mon Greg." Catherine insisted, leading the way down the hall. "Hi Nicky." She smiled as she stepped past him. Nick smiled then blushed as he looked up at Greg. "C'mon Greg, this way!" Catherine shouted.

Greg gave Nick a sweet smile, following Catherine into the elevator while he constantly looked over his shoulder at Nick.

Nick's heart melted as he watched the doors closing on that adorable smile of Greg's. The smile distracted him so much that he even forgot what he was going to do.

"You know Nick?" Catherine asked Greg as the doors opened out into the parking lot.

"I met him and Sara last night." Greg smiled innocently. "He's a pretty decent guy."

Catherine nodded, rolling her eyes at him. "If you say so." She pulled open the passenger side door for him, carefully closing it behind him as he climbed in. She walked round the car, dropping into her driver's seat where she caught Greg looking through her CD's. "You wonna play one?"

"You don't have anything I like." Greg frowned then started to tune in the radio to a techno station. "What do you mean if I say so? You don't like Nick?" He queried.

"I love Nick like a son. He's just not so great when it comes to dating. That boy is a ladies' man Greg. He sleeps with women then forgets about them the next day. There's hardly a person in that building that he hasn't slept with." She explained to him.

"Maybe he's just dating the wrong person?" Greg suggested.

Catherine rolled her eyes at him, realising the new recruit was head over heels for him. She chuckled to herself then watched as Greg started to bob his head to the beat of the music. She laughed at him a moment then took off towards their first crime scene together.

* * *

Sandra looked out the front room window as her father just started to pull away in the car. She saw this as her perfect opportunity to see what he's hiding in this mysterious lab of his. She waited until he was far enough down the drive before she took off running for the back door and down the garden without even breaking stride until she got to the doors of the lab.

Sandra looked around to check her father was gone then pushed the double doors open, looking around at the grand lab inside. She pulled the doors shut behind her; just in case her father saw them open then started walking through the large machines curiously.

She head towards the middle where the large tank was, only this time there was no table inside of it or a girl strapped down to it. The tank was completely empty. She looked around the rest of the lab at the tall machines, trying to figure out what they did, but she had never seen them before in her life, let alone on the television or in movies. She didn't even know how her father had managed to buy all this stuff as they weren't exactly the richest family around.

Sandra stopped as she saw a white board down the end of the lab with names written all over it. She slowly approached it, seeing her mother's name 'Cassandra Nelson' was at the very top of the list. It was weird to see her mother's name written down after all this time. She barely even said it let alone saw it.

Sandra ran her eyes down the list of people's names she didn't know until she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She slowly turned to face it, seeing the young blonde woman strapped down to a chair with her back to her.

Sandra cautiously walked towards the young woman, trying not to make a sound as she didn't know who this woman was, let alone what she was doing in here. She took one step closer, looking at the straps firmly holding the woman down to the chair. She looked at her eyes seeing they were closed but there were red bloody tears beneath her eyelids as if the woman had been crying red blood tears.

Sandra looked at the machinery all around the girl. One was clearly monitoring her heart from the continuous beeping it kept making. The others she could only guess were monitoring brain activity or something by its jumpy squiggly line.

Sandra jumped as the blonde woman's eyes suddenly snapped open.

Sandra flew back against the floor in shock, badly knocking her elbows on the hard floor. The young woman on the chair didn't say anything just stared down at Sandra intently in a way that made her very uncomfortable.

Sandra cautiously climbed to her feet, being followed by the woman's eyes the whole time. "What's your name?" Sandra whispered softly. The young woman just sat perfectly still, not saying a word. "My names Sandra . . . what's your name?" She asked again, but the woman still remained silent.

Sandra looked at the dried bloody tears beneath the woman's eyes, trying to figure out what they could have come from. She looked around the room at the machinery, but she didn't know anything about any of it, so it was no use.

_What the hell is my father doing down here?_

Sandra shook with terror as she heard the lab doors opening and closing along with footsteps pounding against the floor, coming closer and closer towards her. Sandra quickly looked around for somewhere to hide. She saw some stacks of cardboard boxes and things just behind one of the machines. She carefully crept over, ducking behind the boxes, hiding between them to look out at the young woman whose eyes were now closed.

Sandra listened to the footsteps then saw her father approaching the young woman, readjusting the lab jacket on his shoulders. He checked over the machinery around the young woman then clapped his hands together loudly to wake the young woman up.

"Ah, hello Ellie." Her father smiled widely at her, checking over the machines around her. "Let's try out some more tests today."

Sandra watched as her father unstrapped the young woman known as 'Ellie' from the chair.

"Stand up." Her father ordered. Ellie did as instructed. "Good, face me." Ellie turned to face him. "Very good." He scrunched up a piece of paper in his hands into a ball then threw it down lab. "Now fetch." Ellie stepped around the machinery, following the rolled up piece of paper then picked it up in her hands, bringing it back to the doctor. "Excellent. Let's try you out in the field today. Get your coat." He ordered. Ellie looked over at a coat rack. She walked over selecting her jacket from it then pulled it on, following the doctor out of the lab.

Sandra noticed that Ellie's movements were almost robotic. She didn't walk or move like a normal human. She thought about her steps before she took them as if she was counting the steps she'd need to make to reach her destination. Sandra wondered what her father had done to this woman to make her act this way.

Sandra quietly climbed out from between the boxes, watching as Ellie followed her father out of the lab. She turned up her nose in confusion. '_Mind Control' _was the only thing that came to her mind that made any sense. Her father had somehow brain washed this young woman into doing everything she was told. She started to wonder if that's what her father planned on doing to the green eyed man currently recovering from his injuries too.

She feared that if her father knew she was snooping around in his lab that she might suffer the same fate.

* * *

"Okay Greg . . . work the scene." Catherine smiled at him, taking a step back.

"Okay Breaking and Entering." Greg looked around the shop with his flashlight. "The suspect smashed the window with their fist, reached through to pull the lock open."

"How can you tell it was their fist though?" Catherine asked, taking a step closer to the broken window to inspect it further. "There's no blood." She pointed out to him.

"There is a fibre though." Greg pointed to the navy blue fibre caught in the glass. "Probably their jacket . . . they wrapped it around their fist to protect it _before_ they broke the window." He corrected, picking up the navy blue fibre with a pair of tweezers. "They went straight for the cash draw so we could dust it for prints." Greg bagged the fibre, looking around at Catherine.

"What about this scuff mark?" Catherine pointed out to him on the counter.

"I was just getting to that." He smiled at her as he hadn't really noticed it. "The shop assistant said he jumped over the counter and punched him in the face. The rubber on his shoe probably scuffed the counter as he jumped." Greg looked around the room for any signs of a struggle anywhere else. "He must have hit the shop assistant pretty hard to knock him straight out and there doesn't appear to be any signs of a struggle anywhere else."

"Good Greg, but you're still missing one vital clue."

Greg looked around trying to think then shrugged turning back to Catherine. "What?"

"Why was the door locked if the shop assistant was behind the counter?" She asked him with a wide smile.

_Maybe he's not as smart as Grissom thinks. _She smirked to herself.

"Because it's an inside job!" Greg suddenly shouted as though he broke the case. He suddenly remembered his conversation with Nick last night. Nick told him the first case he worked was a breaking and entering case that turned out to be an insurance scam.

Greg looked around the shop again, processing the scene in his mind. "Okay . . . if the door was locked and the shop assistant was standing behind the counter here then he would have seen the guy coming in or heard him break the glass. Instead he stood right here, watched him break in then jump the counter and punch him."

"Nice theory Greg." Catherine half smiled. "But see, we tend to go on evidence. The cops said the security cameras had been turned off. The alarm wasn't on and the door was locked. Our shop assistant doesn't have a mark on him, all we have is his word that this guy jumped the counter and punched him..."

"So it is an inside job?" Greg asked, not sure about his theory.

"Possibly. If the shop assistant was here... then why did he wait a full thirty minutes before he called the cops?" Catherine asked.

"Give his friend time to get away?" Greg suggested.

"Or to set up the scene." Catherine looked out the front door at the shop assistant giving the cops his statement. "There's a vital clue on our shop assistant Greg." She smiled at him. Greg looked at the shop assistant, realising what Catherine meant.

Greg marched out of the store, stepping up to the cops taking the young man's statement. "Hi, I'm Greg Sanders with the Las Vegas Crime Lab." Greg smiled, trying not to get too excited that he actually got to say that. "Mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure." The young shop assistant nodded.

"How did you get those scratches on your arm?" Greg pointed to his arm. The young man looked down at the long lined scratches up his arm.

"Maybe from my cat?" He nervously told him, gulping hard which was a dead giveaway that he was lying.

"Uh huh." Greg nodded, not believing him for a second. "Did you bring a jacket to work today?"

"No." He shook his head.

"I found it." Catherine shouted from the shop door. "It was in the back." She walked out towards Greg emptying the contents of the jacket pockets onto the hood of a police car. Greg watched as all the money poured out of the pockets. "Oh and look at this." Catherine turned the jacket inside out to reveal some blood on the inside.

"You punched your hand through the window, huh?" Greg asked. The officers grabbed the young shop assistant, slapping cuffs on his wrists as they pulled him into a police car. "Does this mean I solved my first case?" Greg asked Catherine with a wide excited smile on his face.

"Sort of." Catherine nodded. "We'll need a real challenge to see if you're good enough for our team though." She smiled, leading the way back to her car.

* * *

Sara walked through the halls of the lab looking for Nick. She stopped as she approached the garage lab, looking in at Nick's intense stare. He was stood a few feet away from the victim James Wight's car with a look of intense concentration on his face. Sara pulled the door open, walking in towards him. "Whatcha got then?" She asked, but he didn't seem to notice she was there. "Nick!" She shouted to get his attention. Nick slowly looked round from the victim's car towards her, pulling the goggles off his face. "Whatcha doing in here? I thought you were going after a lead?"

"I did. Somethin' you said got me thinkin'." He told her as he set the goggles down on the side.

"So you're just standing in here thinking?"

"No." Nick shook his head at her, rolling his eyes. "You said that Marion Wight was shot front to back. The windshield doesn't show any signs of a bullet goin' through it." He pointed out to her.

Sara looked at the front windscreen nodded then looked at Nick waiting for the explanation but he seemed to have zoned out on her again. "Nick! So?"

"So... Sara the killer leant through the window, pressing the gun to her forehead." He demonstrated.

Sara watched him then shrugged. "So... what does that prove Nicky?"

"Sara!" Nick rolled his eyes at her. "The blood on this door." Nick pulled open the door revealing the few drips. "It doesn't match Marion or James's wound patterns, but we didn't swab it because we assumed it's Marion's right?"

"Probably . . . I still don't know where you going with this though Nicky."

"Nick, I got your results." Wendy announced, suddenly appearing in the doorway behind Sara. "The blood on the door is the same unknown male donor as Sara's crime scene."

"Ha!" Nick smiled at Sara.

"So?" Sara asked again.

"This proves that our killer _was_ bleedin' when he killed these two. So he killed James and Marion Wight right _after_ he killed your victim John Walder." Nick explained.

"Nicky . . . I still don't get where you're going with this." Sara asked, folding her arms across her chest. "I thought we already determined that the Wight's died after my vic?"

"And you're a higher rankin' CSI then me." He remarked sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. "Sara my point is, why were James and Marion Wight headin' out of town in the first place when they already knew their daughters were dead. Why didn't they come to the station to find out what happened to them? Wendy did you get the blood results from the trunk yet?"

"Trunk?" Sara questioned.

"Another thing _you_ missed." Nick walked round to the back of the car, popping the trunk open to show Sara the blood inside.

"I missed?" She huffed. "As I recall you were in charge of the back of the car mister!" She angrily remarked.

"Whatever!" Nick shrugged at her, not wanting to get into an argument as they were finally getting somewhere. "Wendy you get the results?"

"Yes the blood in the trunk was Chelsea Wight's blood." Wendy informed them.

"Mom and Dad killed their daughters?" Sara asked shocked.

"Maybe." Nick nodded. "That part I haven't figured out yet though . . . but only Chelsea's blood?" Nick asked Wendy.

"Definitely, there's none of Kelsey's in there." Wendy confirmed.

"So Kelsey was shot at the dump site, which explains why I found the bullet there." Nick muttered to himself. "And this trunk isn't exactly big enough for two bodies."

"Do you have a primary crime scene yet?" Sara asked.

"No. The Wight house was clean." Nick shook his head.

"You went there without me?" Sara barked at him shocked. "Nick, we're supposed to be working as a team on this."

"You were workin' on the connection between John and Tommy Walder. Did you find one?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yea, their cousins. Tommy Walder doesn't have any other family. He never committed a crime before the bank robbery where he was the first to be shot and killed. His cousin however broke the law on several occasions. So maybe your theory was right about them killing family members, but why was Chelsea's body in the trunk of mom and dad's car?" Sara questioned him.

"I don't know. That's the part I haven't figured out." Nick leant against a table behind him, staring at the car in front of him.

"Did you check the house for blood?" Nick nodded. "Are you sure?"

"I know how to do my job Sara!" He snapped at her.

"I'm just checking." Sara sat on the table beside him, trying to think things through. "Well it was the dad's gun, right? Maybe he didn't want to get caught. Did you find the gun anywhere in the car?" Nick shook his head. "Maybe they didn't even know the bodies were in the car?"

Wendy cleared her throat to get their attention. "Can I tell you my theory?" Nick and Sara looked over at her with blank stares. "Well my theory is that James Wight was really one of the bank robbers. He killed Burrow's because he knew about him . . . but I don't know why he killed his daughters." She shrugged.

"Nice theory." Sara frowned at her. "See that's why they leave the real CSI work to us CSI's."

"Yours isn't much better." Nick retorted, giving Wendy a smile. "It's a nice theory Wendy, but it still doesn't explain why they dumped their daughter's bodies then started to flee town."

"Whoa." Sara suddenly jumped to her feet. "What did you just say?"

"Flee town?"

"No, no before that. Dumped the girl's bodies. Maybe they didn't know the girls were in there because they weren't in there when the parents were driving. Maybe this guy killed the girls, loaded them into the boot, dumped them off somewhere then returned the car. Or maybe..."

"Sara, you're doin' that annoyin' maybe thing again!" Nick scolded her. "Pick one theory and stick with it."

"I'm sticking with that one. There should be more blood in here if the girls were both in here. Maybe they were wrapped in plastic. This guy might of dumped it at the house. Did you check?" Nick shook his head. "See, you need me." She smiled. "We'll go check the house for plastic and go round everywhere with the UV lamps."

"Okay." Nick mumbled, climbing to his feet. "Thanks for your help Wendy."

"I did all the thinking work." Sara moaned, following him out.

"Yeah but Wendy proved that one of the girls were in the trunk." He retorted.

* * *

"Okay Ellie. You understand the plan?"

"Yes Master." She nodded.

"Go on then." Doctor Nelson handed over a gun to Ellie, watching her expertly loading it before she climbed out the van.

Doctor Nelson leant back in his seat as he watched Ellie marching up to the house. She knocked on the door waiting for someone to answer, immediately shooting them straight in the head. Doctor Nelson watched excitedly as a wide smile spread across his face. He heard three more loud gunshots, watching the flash of each one through the window of the house.

Ellie soon returned, handing over the gun to Doctor Nelson as she climbed into the back. "Very Good." He smiled round at her.

As he sped off down the road he knocked down the post box of the house Ellie had just entered reading 'Tanner Family.'

* * *

**Please Review if you enjoyed it!**

* * *

**First Uploaded May 9th = Re-edited 6th September 2010**


	9. Chapter 8: Swept Up

**Chapter Eight: Swept Up**

Warrick climbed out of his truck looking at the crushed mail box of the Tanner family laying in pieces on the lawn with a tire track mark through it. Grissom waved at him from the front door, signalling for him to come over to join him in the house.

Warrick lifted his kit into his hands, walking up the garden path towards the front door where the entrance way was splattered in blood. He looked down at the woman's body in the hall seeing an obvious bullet wound to her head. "Hi Griss."

"Warrick." Grissom acknowledged, half smiling at him in return. "Family of four. The father used to be a cop. They were all shot and killed just over an hour ago." Grissom reported, checking his watch. "Witnesses say they saw a blonde female enter the house . . . she shot them all then left in a blacked out van parked on the corner. No one saw a driver."

"Sounds like a professional hit." Warrick noted, looking at the gunshot wounds in the kids heads.

"Yeah, I've got to go and help Nick and Sara with their crime scene. Call me if you need any help though." Warrick nodded, watching Grissom heading out the front door.

Warrick stepped over one of the child's dead bodies, looking down into their open eyes. The child's expression was obvious that they looked into the eyes of their killer as the trigger was pulled. He stepped over the second one doing the same, making his way off towards the dining room where all the food was set out on the table ready to eat.

Warrick took a moment to think. _This was the family's last meal together . . . and they never got to eat it. The_ meal was completely untouched.

Warrick set down his kit getting into CSI mode. He took several pictures of each victim from every angle before he moved onto the next victim. He then started marking out the blood splatters from each victim so he could determine who was shot first. From his observation the mother went to answer the front door; receiving a gunshot wound to the head. The rest of the family rushed in to see what happened, getting knocked down like domino's as they rushed into the room. The youngest child was obviously first as she was underneath her father and brother.

Warrick just couldn't determine if the son or the father were shot next as their blood spray was all over the furniture and they each had a limb over the top of the little girl as they fell to the ground on top of her.

"Hi Warrick." David startled him. "Sorry."

"No, I'm fine." Warrick half smiled at him. "Can you start on the mother?" Warrick pointed out to her in the hall. "I think she was the first shot."

"Sure." David set down his kit beside her, starting to check her over. "Bullet was a through and through." He reported. Warrick looked at the blood splatter on the wall, uncovering the bullet in the middle of it all. He pulled his tweezers out of his vest, digging the bullet out of the wall to take a closer look.

"Looks like a 357 Magnum." Warrick stuffed it into an evidence bag, looking at the surprised look on the mothers face. David started talking to him about the body's condition, but his words were muffled as Warrick stared into her eyes in deep thought.

* * *

Nick walked round the back of the Wight house, sighing heavily as he hadn't found anything yet. He wanted to wrap up this case today, but the way things were going they'd be working it for another shift and miss another chance to go out on a date with Greg.

_Not that he was thinking about that_. He tried to repeatedly assure himself.

Nick pulled out his flash light, lifting the lids of the bins around the side of the house to look inside them. He found the usual food cartons, product containers and food waste in them; nothing out of the ordinary at all, making him even more frustrated. He walked round the side of the garage towards a large skip, carefully lifting the lid to see some clear plastic sheets with blood stains on them.

_How'd I miss that? _He questioned himself.

"So was I right or was I right?" Sara asked with a smug grin on her face as she suddenly appeared behind him.

"You were right." Nick mumbled, pulling the plastic covers from the skip. "But you were wrong that they were killed in the house. There's not a spot of blood in there . . . just like I told you."

"Did you find where they _were_ killed then?" Sara asked, inspecting the blood on the plastic sheets Nick just collected.

"No, but I have a theory." Nick pulled out an evidence bag to stuff the sheets into, handing it over to Sara.

"Thanks very much." She remarked sarcastically, following him out the garden towards the pool. "What's your theory then Nicky?"

"The girls were wearing bikinis under their clothes." Nick told her as he looked around the edge of the pool with an ultraviolet light to look for blood.

"Bikinis?" Sara queried watching him inspecting the tiles around the pool. "What does that prove?"

"That someone redressed them Sara." Grissom filled her in, appearing behind her. "Did you find something Nicky?"

"Got blood." He noted as he found a sample between the tiles. He pulled a swab out of his vest to take a sample. "One thing that still gets me though is why was Chelsea killed first then Kelsey shot later at the dump site?"

"You said she was shot twice right?" Grissom asked. Nick nodded taking another swab sample from another set of tiles. "Maybe the killer realised she wasn't dead when he dumped the bodies." Grissom suggested.

"The blood off the plastic and here should tell us that." Sara noted. "I miss the easy cases." She mumbled to herself, pouting her lip at Grissom.

Grissom smiled rolling his eyes at her. "So Nicky, how come you didn't check the trash the first time you came here?" Grissom asked curiously. "You should know by now that killers usually like to hide things in the trash."

Nick looked up at him, trying to think up an excuse.

"I told him not to." Sara immediately covered for him. "I wanted him to help me process the car back at the lab. Luckily he did too coz I missed a huge clue of blood in the trunk. If it wasn't for Nick I woulda never found it."

Grissom nodded looking between the two of them curiously. "Well let me know what you find out." He turned to walk out through the house just as Nick mouthed 'thank you' to Sara.

Sara nodded giving him a slight smile before they got back to work.

* * *

"Brass." Catherine smiled to him, ducking under the police tape towards their scene. "This is Greg Sanders our new recruit." She indicated to the young man behind her.

"Oh." Brass studied the young CSI carefully, giving him a wide smug smile as he glanced at his crazy hair. "I didn't know hippies could become CSI's." Greg glared at him sarcastically.

"Don't mind him Greggy; he's just a mean old man." Catherine frowned at him, leading Greg off towards the motel room for their crime scene. "Okay Greg, show me whatcha made of." She smiled, setting down her kit on the floor.

Greg looked around at the scene, looking at the placement of the victim's body on the bed. He pulled his flashlight from his vest to get a better look then turned round to look at Catherine. "I'd say he was suffocated and all the money in his wallet was stolen."

"Really . . . where's your evidence?" Greg picked up a trash bag left on the floor beside the bed then walked over to the man's empty wallet sat on the counter. "Okay . . . how do you know he was suffocated with that bag though?"

"It's stretched and his face and lips are all blue, meaning he was oxygen deprived. I'm sure when we fume this bag we'll see a perfect imprint of his face along with the attackers hands on either side of it." He indicated to the stretched sides.

"Nice theory." She nodded slightly, trying to hold back a wide smile. "So who's our attacker? Is it a thief . . . girlfriend?" She asked watching Greg's eyes going over the room again.

"Wife." Greg simply replied so sure of himself.

"And how can you tell that?" Catherine asked curiously. Greg pointed to the wall ahead of him. Catherine stepped round the corner seeing a hate message written on the wall in red lipstick reading: 'I never should have married you, you pig!'

"Most people I wrote 'I love you' in lipstick on the mirror." Greg smirked.

"Huh, nice guess." Catherine smirked back at Greg. "But you still need more evidence than that. Start collecting your evidence Greggy." Greg set down his kit, starting to dust for prints, collect DNA samples from the bed along with photographing and labelling everything like a professional CSI.

Catherine was actually starting to like him too. She was actually looking forward to working a case with him and she knew the rest of the team would get along with him well too.

* * *

Sandra stopped in the hallway outside the bathroom watching her father washing blood from his hands. She ran her eyes across his facial expression, involuntary trembling with fear as she looked into her father's dark evil eyes. He was no longer the man that she once knew and loved, let alone trusted. He was someone else entirely and she really didn't like who he was turning into.

Sandra silently crept down the hall to her room, peering through the gap in her father's bedroom door to see the young man in there was still sleeping. She feared most of all what her father was going to do to him once he got better.

Was he going to end up as one of her father's obedient little robots? Doing whatever he was told. The biggest question on her mind was what kind of field test did her father do with that young girl Ellie?

* * *

"Nick." Warrick simply nodded, washing his hands in the sinks of the men's room. Nick just gave him a half smile, washing his hands right beside him. "Look Nick . . . I'm sorry 'bout what I said. I know you wouldn't have shot yourself if..."

"I would have." Nick interrupted him. "I _was_ gonna shoot myself Warrick." Nick turned to face him, looking at the shock in his best friends eyes. "You're right, if it wasn't for you bein' there, I woulda killed myself and I'm sorry. I know you're just tryin' to look out for me. But I _can_ take care of myself."

"I know Nick. I was just trying to help." Warrick dried his hands then turned back to Nick. "If you need time though . . . I understand. I'm not gonna force you to suddenly be okay. I'm just trying to look out for you man . . . you're like a brother to me." Warrick smiled slightly. "I'll see yah later man." Nick nodded as he grabbed a paper towel to dry his hands, watching Warrick heading back out into the lab.

Nick turned back to the mirrors to look himself in the eyes. The truth is he wasn't okay and he did need someone's help. He was starting to get sloppy at work, missing vital clues and pieces of evidence that could save some innocent persons life.

Nick pulled the bottle of Valium from his pocket, downing two pills with a mouthful of water before he head back out to get on with his case, pretending everything was okay, putting a happy smile on for the people around him so they'd stop asking questions.

"Nick! Nick!" Sara shouted, running to meet Nick in the hall. "I just solved our case." She smiled widely. "Well not so much solved, just found another clue."

"What?"

"Warrick is working a quadruple murder case and guess who his victims are?" Nick shook his head not in the mood to guess. "Former SWAT team leader Julian Tanner along with his wife and two kids. You were right. Someone is killing all these people that were involved in this 1995 Red Rock bank robbery."

"Okay . . . but we still don't have a suspect?"

"Not exactly. Witnesses from the Tanner crime scene said the killer was a blonde haired woman." But it still fits pattern. The bullets Warrick got from the crime scene were 357 magnum bullets too. Bobby confirmed they're from the same gun and all the family members were killed with a single gunshot wound to the head. Maybe this green eyed man and the blonde girl are working together?" Sara suggested.

"So we still have nothin' new just four new dead victims and you're actin' like that's somethin' good?" Nick snapped at her.

"No . . . Nick I just meant it fits pattern. Of course I don't think it's a good thing. You know maybe you should take a break. You've been working on this eighteen hours straight Nicky."

"No, I'm fine. We need to go through that list from the bank robbery. If this is the pattern then everyone on there is a potential victim, we need to get them and their families protection before someone else is killed." Sara nodded as she watched Nick walking off down the hall.

He was wound so tight, she feared he was going to break at a moment's notice.

* * *

"Sandra, what's wrong?" The green eyed man in her father's bed asked concerned as he saw her crying.

"I can't tell you . . . just know that I'm going to help you, okay?"

"Help me?" He asked confused.

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry . . . but I am going to help you get out of here." She assured him then climbed to her feet, heading off out the room again.

* * *

"Hi Nick." Greg smiled from the open layout room doorway.

"Hi." Seeing Greg in the doorway immediately put a smile on his face. "You got your first proficiency test today?"

"Yeah, Grissom put me with Catherine Willows."

"Oh, she's not so bad." Nick smiled up at him. Greg nodded in agreement, looking around at the table of evidence in front of Nick.

"So Nicky," Greg leant on the other side of the table, looking up into Nick's chocolate brown eyes that he really missed after staring into them yesterday. "When do you get off shift?" He asked curiously.

Nick looked up watching Greg softly biting his lower lip. "Um..." Nick looked round at the clock. "Two or three hours. Why?"

"You wonna grab some coffee? Or dinner?" Greg suggested.

Before Nick could answer Catherine came bounding into the room. "Greg, there you are. C'mon, we got work to do."

Nick watched Greg reluctantly walking heading for the door after Catherine, knowing he should say something in case he didn't get the chance to later. "Greg." He shouted finding his voice just before he left. Greg whirled around to look at him. "Yeah . . . okay." Nick nodded watching the adorable smile increase on Greg's face.

"See yah later then." Greg waved, heading off down the hall after Catherine.

"You've been here five minutes and your already hitting on the labs sexy Texan." Catherine smirked. Greg gave her a wide smile following her through to the morgue to find out how their victim died.

* * *

"Hey, I got that list of all the hostages." Sara announced as she head into the layout room with Nick.

He took the list from her hands, counting the number of hostages. "Thirteen."

"I know. Unlucky right? There _was_ fourteen, but that hostage was killed. A Cassandra Nelson or something. Oh and this is just the customers."

"Where's the bank tellers?" Nick asked looking down the list of names.

"Brass is getting that list for us. Oh and the robbers. There _was_ seven of them. Three were killed during the raid and the others were mysteriously killed in prison a month ago within a day of each other. I've got their files too." Sara sat down beside Nick, watching the glazed expression on his face. "What's up?"

"Nothin' . . . so we got fourteen hostages, minus one because she was killed by SWAT team leader Julian Tanner. As of last night he's dead along with all of his family. Security guard James Wight and his wife and two daughters are dead. All of our bank robbers are dead along with one of their cousins, a... John Walder and Detective Tony Burrow, the husband of one of the bank robbers . . . so." Nick bit his lip looking at the evidence in front of him.

After a long moments silence Nick sighed heavily, looking up at Sara. "You think one of the hostages or bank tellers are our suspect?"

"Either them or Brass." Sara joked getting an evil scowl from Nick. "What? I was kidding. Hopefully. He doesn't have green eyes anyway."

"No... but he does have a blonde daughter, whose missin' too." Nick enlightened her. Sara looked at Nick wide eyed as if she just figured something out. "What?"

"What did you just say?"

"The fact he has a blonde daughter?"

"Yeah." Sara nodded, retrieving a file from under the clutter on the table. "Witnesses said they saw a blonde haired woman killing the Tanner family."

"You think whoever this killer is sent Brass a ransom note for his daughter when really his daughter is the one doin' the killin' with him?" Nick frowned at her. "But Ellie's not the type to kill people, I'm not sure she even knows how to use a gun."

"Anyone's capable of murder Nicky. Who knows? We should get a photo of Ellie and ask the witnesses from Warrick's crime scene." Sara jumped up from her chair, heading towards the door. "Hey Nick, you should head home and get some sleep. I'll work with Warrick for a while..."

"Sara I don't need to..."

"Yes you do!" She interrupted. "Go home Nick." She insisted, heading off down the lab hall. Nick packed up his evidence into a box, filing it away to start going through for yet another shift.

Nick walked through the lab spotting Greg sat in the breakroom with Grissom. As soon as Greg saw Nick he broke into his adorable wide smile. Nick didn't know what it was about Greg, but whenever he saw that delightful smile plastered across his lips, he always felt so much better inside.

Greg met him downstairs in the parking lot, wearing his sweet smile. "So how'd you do?" Nick asked him.

"I found my suspect, she's behind bars now. She found out her husband was cheating on her so she decided to kill him and steal all his money as she thought he owed her."

"Nice job." Nick smiled proudly at him.

"So where yah wonna go?" Greg asked, flashing him an a thousand watt smile.

"Up to you."

"You ever seen the Bellagio Fountains?"

Nick shook his head, feeling butterflies in his stomach. "Can't say I have."

"Meet me there in..." Greg looked at his watch. "One hour." Nick watched Greg walking off towards his car, wondering what Greg was planning. He quickly rushed off towards his truck to get back home and change in time to meet him.

* * *

Nick parked his truck looking out at the Bellagio Fountains. He had been in Vegas a long time now, but he had never once stopped by to see it. Nick didn't have to look too far to see Greg. He was wearing a bright t-shirt with the words 'Here I Am!' written on the back. Nick chuckled to himself then climbed out the truck to join him.

Greg whirled around as Nick slowly approached him wearing his adorable smile. "Hey." Nick's face immediately lit up hearing Greg's sweet voice.

"Hi . . . nice t-shirt." He smirked, taking the coffee offered to him.

"Didn't know if you'd be able to see me." He sweetly chuckled. "So Nick . . . I've been meaning to ask you." Greg curled his fingers around the straw in his coffee. "Are we . . . you know are we dating?"

Nick watched as Greg took slow slips from his coffee, looking up at him through his gorgeously thick long eyelashes. "I-I..." Nick licked his upper lip, taking a deep breath. "I guess we are . . . I mean if you want to be?"

"Definitely." Greg nodded, turning to watch the fountain.

Nick's lips spread into a wide excitable grin. He had never had a boyfriend before, but it was the greatest feeling in the world. Nick leant against the railing beside Greg, watching the beautiful show of water before him along with the beautiful sight of Greg stood right beside him, their shoulders just touching.

As the water soared up to massive heights under the midnight sky, Greg turned to face Nick; his eyes dark and lustful. "So..." Greg started; staring so intently into Nick's melted chocolate eyes. "Does this mean you're my boyfriend, Nick Stokes?" Nick felt warm heat surging through his body beginning to flush his cheeks bright red.

He could only nod as he was so nervous.

Greg slowly moved closer towards him, lips delicately brushing against Nick's. With warm baited breath he could feel the older man's hunger for him.

Greg captured Nick's lower lip between his, softly sucking on it. He watched Nick's eyelids flutter shut as he slowly crept one hand to the side of Nick's face to cup his flushed cheek.

Nick's hands came to Greg's waist, returning the sweet slow kiss. For something he was taught to be so sinful and wrong; it felt incredibly heavenly and right.

Greg's tongue slowly slipped into Nick's mouth, making the heat of Nick's body reach new heights. He wondered if Greg had planned this whole date, from the romantic setting to the blissful kiss.

Swept up in the infatuation of Greg's heavenly kiss, time seemed to stand still.

Nick had never felt this good.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I was trying to get enough of the case down before I even got started with the romanace part, but I hope you're enjoying it. I've never been to Vegas, the bellagio fountains piece is all from videos and photos I've seen of it, so I hope it was real enough for you :D**

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**First Uploaded May 9th = Re-edited 6th September 2010**

**New chapters should be posted shortly, I'm sorry I left you hanging on this story for so long.**


	10. Chapter 9: Danger

**Chapter Nine: Danger**

Nick woke up with a Cheshire grin on his face that he couldn't seem to shake. Stopping his obnoxious alarm clock, he closed his eyes to once again picture Greg's face when he kissed him again, feeling those heavenly warm tingles in his stomach. He felt like a gooey teenager once again, all warm with love bubbling up inside of him.

Climbing out of bed, Nick rushed off down the hall to take a quick shower before he was expected at the lab. Today felt like any other day, but today was the day that Nick awoke with a smile on his face for the first time in a long time.

Quickly stripping his pyjamas, Nick stepped under the warm spray of the shower, beginning to wash his hair and body. The bathroom started to fill with warm steam the longer he was under the spray. He wanted to stay in there forever thinking about Greg, but he knew he had to get back to work to solve this murder case that wasn't getting any easier.

Nick brushed his teeth then carefully shaved his jaw line, taking pride in his appearance for the first time in a while as he knew he'd be seeing Greg again today.

Nick rushed back into his room to get dressed, taking a moment to look at the various jeans and shirts that housed his wardrobe before he picked out something suitable to wear to work and to see Greg in too.

Nick picked out some dark faded jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt in black. He checked his appearance then heard a noise coming from his bedside table. Nick reached for his cell phone as he realised that was making the beeping sound. He opened up a message from Greg, reading:

_You're so delicious; I could eat you up Nicholas Stokes. Have a good day!_

Nick sighed dreamily, biting his lip as he composed a message back.

* * *

Greg pulled his fourth change of t-shirt on, looking at himself in the mirror. He was nervous about his first real day in the crime lab and excited to see his new boyfriend again after the heavenly kiss they shared the night before in the most romantic setting that he had ever kissed anyone in.

That and it was the best kiss he had ever had.

Greg decided to stop with the wardrobe change and start on his hair before he made himself late for his first day. Glancing round at his phone he caught sight of a new message coming through from Nick, reading:

_Good Morning Gorgeous! I will. You too. Talk to you later Greg. _

Greg grinned widely then stuffed his phone in his pocket, quickly grabbing his jacket and keys as he made his way off out the door. On the car drive to the lab Greg received a message from Grissom telling him to meet Warrick and Nick at his first crime scene of the day. After working with Catherine all day yesterday, Greg was glad to be working with the men of the team.

Not that he didn't like her; she just seemed annoyed to have to be babysitting him on his first day of work.

Pushing the car door shut once he arrived, Greg made his way off towards the house he was sent to process, pocketing his keys with his newly stocked kit in hand. He ducked under the tape as Mitch lifted it for him, smiling over at Detective O'Riley in the hallway of the entrance hall. "Hi."

"Hey Sanders," O'Riley looked at the young deputy who was out of uniform and holding a kit in his hands. "You got the job?"

"Yep." Greg grinned widely.

"Bodies through there," He pointed through to the front room. "CSI Warrick Brown is upstairs, he told me to tell the next CSI to start on the body."

"So, what have we got?" Usually Greg was the one to be answering that question, now he was glad to be the other side gathering all the evidence instead of guarding the tape.

"There's one DB, Caucasian male. Names Malcolm White, he's a bank teller." O'Riley told him as he referred back to his notes. "Looks like a home invasion." Greg nodded looking around at the signs of struggle. "The neighbours heard screams, they called 9 – 1 – 1. Keep me posted okay Sanders." Greg nodded as O'Riley made his way off out the door to go and take some more witness statements, asking them all whether they heard or saw anything.

Placing his kit down on the floor in the doorway to the front room, Greg snapped some gloves on his hands then made his way over towards the body on the other side of the coffee table. He took a picture of the body's position. The man was face up. As far as Greg could tell it looked as though he was shot and fell straight to the ground before he bled to death as the man was lying in a pool of his own blood, leaking from his head wound.

Greg took another few pictures; one to ones and close ups before he smiled up at the officer stood guard in the room. As he looked up he noticed the officer looked as though he was about to hurl.

"Hey, are you okay?" Greg asked him as he turned a little greener. "Clarkson, do you feel okay?"

Officer Clarkson nodded slightly then shook his head as he looked down at the body again. "I-I feel a little..." He gulped hard, inhaling slow deep breaths. "I feel a little sick."

"Your first body watch?" Greg asked him. The young officer nodded, cringing as he looked down at the body. Greg had worked a few times with him tape guarding, but he had never worked with Clarkson on a body watch and he clearly wasn't taking it too well. "You need some air? I'll be fine... Go!" Greg quickly ushered him out as he saw he was going to throw up and he didn't want him throwing up all over his first crime scene.

That would put a big black mark on his record.

Officer Clarkson quickly made his way out of the house, making it to the bushes outside before he started retching his guts up.

Greg smiled softly at the rookie then made his way off towards the kitchen as the back door was still open. He pulled his flashlight from his vest pocket, looking at a bloody handprint on the kitchen counter. He stepped around the counter, finding a broken fingernail by the sink. Unfortunately he couldn't get DNA from it as it looked to be acrylic. He picked it up with his tweezers, stuffing it into an evidence bag in case it was useful to his case or just someone's laziness to put in the trash can that was three feet away.

Suddenly a dark figure burst out of the closet beside him. Greg put his hands up to defend himself, but he was quickly forced against the counter by the stronger man. Greg used the only thing in his hand, the flashlight to smack the guy over the head.

"Suspe..." He was about to shout as he got out of his grip, but the suspect gave him a hard thump to the mouth forcing him against the other counter. Greg continued to fight against him, trying to make out his face but he was wearing a ski mask so he could only see was his bright green eyes.

Greg was about to yell out for help as he pulled away again, but the suspect pushed him back with a great force, making Greg stumble back and smack the side of his head against the counter. He fell back against the floor, feeling dizzy and queasy as he started to pass out.

* * *

"Hey Nick," O'Riley waved as he came up the path towards the house. "DB's inside."

"Where's Greg?" He asked as he pulled his sunglasses off, hanging them on his vest pocket.

"Inside." O'Riley pointed before he started talking to one of the witnesses again.

Nick made his way into the house, almost tripping on Greg's kit sat on the floor. He pulled his flashlight out of his vest to look down at it, noticing the body across the room, but no Greg.

Nick set his kit down beside Greg's, raising his flashlight as he looked around the room. "Greg?" He shouted as he made his way over to the body. He looked down at the bodies position then noticed a dark figure in the kitchen and Greg's flashlight rolling across the floor. "Suspect on location!" Nick shouted to alert the attention of the other officers as he pulled his gun from its holster, making his way off towards the kitchen. "Aye!" He shouted making the suspect turn.

The suspect dropped Greg onto the kitchen floor deciding to leave him as he run off out the back door.

Nick was going to chase after him but he saw the blood down the side of Greg's head, deciding he was his priority. The officers outside heard the commotion and ran into the house with their guns drawn.

"Out back!" Nick pointed off out the back door as he knelt down to check on Greg. "Hey Greg, hold on." He spoke softly as he saw his eyes faintly opening. Nick pulled his cell from his pocket, quickly hitting his speed dial for Control. "This is CSI Nick Stokes, I need an ambulance on location . . . hold on Greg."

* * *

Sandra walked up the stairs to her father's room with a dinner tray in her hands. Peering round the door she saw the bed was unoccupied, which was odd as he hadn't left the bed in days other than to go to the toilet.

Sandra set the tray down on the side noticing all of his clothes were gone too.

Quickly making her way off down the stairs, Sandra head straight out to the lab down the end of the garden as she feared that her father might have taken him to do his memory wipe on him.

Without even thinking Sandra pounded her fist against the lab doors then folded her arms across her chest as she waited to confront her father about the missing green eyed man.

"What is it Sandy? You know I'm busy and must not be disturbed." Doctor Nelson snapped as he pulled open the doors.

"Where is he?" She demanded, her voice full with hurt as her only friend was gone.

"Where's who?" He cluelessly asked.

"You know who I mean daddy, the man that you rescued. Where is he? What have you done with him?" Sandra pushed past her father, hastily making her way into the lab to go and look for him.

"Sandy stop!" Doctor Nelson shouted as he rushed off after her. "Sandy!" He shouted again but she wasn't listening. She walked round the large machinery that she had seen before; making her way round to the chair where Ellie was sat the other day, but today it was empty.

Doctor Nelson quickly caught up to his daughter, stopping her from going any further.

"Stop this Sandy; you're behaving like a child. He's not in here, he must have gone home."

"But he didn't know who he was, and he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to me. You said you were going to wipe his memory, so what have you done with him?"

"Master, it's done." A voice cut through the buzzing of lab equipment.

Sandra whirled around to see the green eyed man and the woman known as Ellie stood behind. The green eyed man was holding a gun in his hands and Ellie's blouse was covered in blood splatter. Sandra slowly turned back to her father with an evil glare on her face. "You lied to me daddy."

"I did it for your own good!" He defended himself then turned to the man in the room. "Did you get the CSI?" The green eyed man shook his head. "So you failed me, again?" He hissed at him. "You know he's vital to my plan. Did you at least get Mr White?" Ellie and the green eyed man nodded robotically, scaring Sandra as they weren't behaving like normal human beings.

"Daddy I demand to know what's going on!"

"You don't need to know!" He shouted back at her then scratched his stubbled chin as he tried to think what he was going to do with her. "You." He pointed to the green eyed man. "Get her into the machine, I have a plan."

"Daddy no!" She shouted, but he ignored her cries as the man and Ellie dragged her away kicking and screaming. "Daddy stop this! Please daddy! I didn't do anything!"

* * *

"Ouch." Greg winced as Nick swabbed the cut on his knuckles.

"Sorry." Nick gave him an apologetic look, snapping the lid shut over the swab he took from Greg's knuckles. Greg turned his head to the side as Nick raised his camera to document the wounds on the side of his head.

Nick tried to keep his cool as he saw the blood trickling down the side of Greg's face. More than anything he wanted to get out there with the other officers and find whoever hurt Greg, but O'Riley wouldn't let him so he stayed with Greg trying to gather the evidence they needed to arrest his attacker. "Did he hurt you anywhere else?"

Greg slid off the back of the ambulance, rolling his t-shirt up his chest. Nick looked at the reddish bruise beginning to form on his chest. He looked into Greg's eyes, feeling bad for being late now as he could have been here to stop this from happening to him.

He snapped a picture of the injury, supporting Greg's weight as he pulled himself back onto the ambulance.

Nick nodded round to the paramedic, taking a step back as they checked Greg over again, shinning a flash light into his eyes to check if he had a concussion or not.

Right then Nick's cool snapped and he immediately turned his attention towards the officers by the tape. He set his camera down on top of his kit, charging over to them like a man on a mission. "I wonna know why there wasn't an officer inside!" Nick demanded, shooting accusing glares at them all. "How many times do us CSI's have to be attacked on a crime scene before you get the message through your thick skulls?"

"Calm down Stokes." O'Riley tried to settle him.

"Calm down? Catherine was attacked on a crime scene because one of you guys stepped out of the room. I was kidnapped and buried alive. Greg coulda been killed!"

"Nick! Cool it!" Warrick shouted as the angry Texan lunged for them. He held Nick back, trying to pull him away from the other officers. "What are you doing man?"

"I'm so sick of em Warrick. Why don't they ever follow the fuckin' protocol?"

"I dunno man. C'mon, it's not worth it." He pulled Nick off towards his truck, looking round at Greg sat on the back of the ambulance. "Now take a deep breath and talk to me Nick." He spoke softly to Nick once they were away from the crime scene.

"They left the freakin' scene and Greg was attacked." Nick looked at his hands, realising he was shaking. It had been less than four months since he got out of hospital from the incident where he was kidnapped and attacked. He could still feel the ant bites under his skin, scratching against the surface of his shirt.

"C'mon man, deep breaths." Warrick instructed, noticing he was showing all the signs of having a panic attack. "Greg's okay man. See, he's gonna be fine."

"That's not the point Warrick!" Nick snapped, running his hands through his hair.

"Maybe you should take some more time off Nick?" He suggested. "Your wound so tight, you were about to hit an officer just there." He pointed out to him, watching the hot headed Texan taking a few relieving deep breaths. "C'mon man, I can handle this scene alone. You go home, I'll talk to Griss."

"No, I'm good . . . I'll go with Greg." Nick handed over the Denali keys to Warrick, making his way over to the ambulance as it was about to leave. Nick climbed into the back of the ambulance, giving Greg a smile as he took a seat beside the paramedic. The other paramedic closed the back doors then ran round to the driver's seat, driving them off towards the nearest hospital, Desert Palms.

Nick followed the gurney with Greg on it into the hospital, staying with him every step of the way. Luckily Nick still had his CSI badge on him so the doctors allowed him to stay in the room while they treated Greg's wounds.

"Nick, you really don't have to stay with me." Greg tilted his head to the side as the doctor inspected the wound to the side of his head.

"Well, I want to Greg." Nick took a seat beside his bed, watching the doctor helping Greg to remove his t-shirt. Greg winced as he strained the bruises on his chest, leaning back against the propped up pillows once his shirt was off. The doctor put Greg's t-shirt in an evidence bag before he treated the wounds to his body.

Nick waited for the doctor to leave then stayed while Greg fell asleep due to his head injury. He thought back to four months ago when he was the one in the hospital bed and his friends and family were sat where he was.

He really hated hospitals.

* * *

Grissom quickly rounded the corridor of the hospital, making his way towards his newest CSI's hospital room. Stopping outside the room he noticed Nick sat beside the bed holding the young CSI's hand as he slept.

"He's been here just over four hours." Catherine informed him as she stepped up beside him.

"Is he okay?"

"Which one?" Catherine asked as she was worried about both of them. "Greg's gonna be fine, he has minor bruises on his chest. He did get a nasty cut to his head as he hit the counter, but the doctors said it's a minor concussion. They've done all their cat scans and things, he's gonna be fine." She smiled softly at Grissom. "Gil, you assured me this wasn't going to be another Holly Gribbs."

"I'm sorry about that." Grissom gulped hard. "I didn't know. But he's okay. What about Nick?"

"He refuses to go; I think they've been seeing each other or something." Catherine glanced at the look in the young Texan's eyes. "I think he's okay though. Warrick had to calm him down at the crime scene, but we all know how hot headed he is, even before the buried alive thing." Grissom nodded in agreement. "I can stay with them if you want?"

"But it's your day off."

"I don't mind." Catherine made her way back to her seat where she had been waiting. "Lindsey's at school so I'm not doing anything."

"Okay," Grissom took one last look at Nick then turned to look at Catherine. "Keep me posted. And make sure you get Greg's statement of the suspect when he wakes up."

"Will do." She nodded, watching the fatherly concern look on Grissom's face as he checked on Nick one last time before he left.

* * *

Sandra struggled and screamed as much as she could, but her father wasn't listening. He secured the straps around her body then dragged another machine up beside her with some weird looking clamps on them. Doctor Nelson set a cold metal machine over her forehead and a metal frame on the crown of her head before he positioned the clamps in her eyes to keep them open.

Sandra screamed again from the pain when a TV screen came into focus above her.

Doctor Nelson flipped the switch sending electrical jolts throughout her body. It hurt at first but then she couldn't feel anything, she just kept her eyes focused on the screen above her that appeared to be some sort of mind control device.

* * *

**Please Review**

**Sorry it took so long to update, I lost my notes on the case :D lol I wouldn't make a very good CSI, but I found them so I can continue where the story left off now.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

* * *

**~ Holly ~**


	11. Chapter 10: Control

**Chapter Ten: Control**

"Hi." Greg startled Nick from his thoughts. Nick smiled up at him then watched Greg walking into the layout room where he was sat, setting two coffees down on the table away from all of the evidence. "Whatcha working on Nicky?"

"This never endin' case. We've got more victims then we have suspects." Nick looked at him concerned as he leant against the table beside him. "What are you doin' back, you're supposed to be restin' at home in bed."

"I'm fine. I have minor bruises, the slightest cut..."

"Five stitches isn't the slightest cut Greg." Nick interrupted him. "You should be at home, asleep."

"I'm fine Nicky. It barely hurts. I've been through a lot worse." Greg pulled up a chair beside Nick, smiling widely at him. Nick flinched as Greg suddenly rested his hand on his thigh, reaching across him to grab some photo's to look at. Greg slowly removed his hand then flipped through the photos curiously. "Did you take these?"

"Yep." Nick pointed to his name on the time and date stamp in the corner of the photo. Greg reached for another photo of himself from yesterday, looking at the blood that was trickling down the side of his head in the picture.

"You took this one too?"

"Yep," Nick nodded again. "Is it okay?"

"Besides the blood. Yeah. It's one of my good angles." He grinned at Nick, making him smile too.

Nick bit his lip as he looked up into Greg's eyes, wanting to ask him about the attack, but he didn't know how Greg would take it. "Greg, did you see the suspect... before he knocked you down I mean?"

"I already told the police. Black hoody, dark khaki trousers... he was wearing sneakers, oh and the girl had long nails, but they didn't look real. Maybe she lost the nail I found."

"The nail?"

"I bagged an acrylic nail I found on the side." Greg leant on Nick's thigh again as he reached past him for the evidence he collected. Nick leant back as far as the chair would allow him as the soft scents of Greg's hair invaded his nostrils.

"Thank you." Nick peeled Greg's hand off his thigh then took a closer look at the nail. "There's a fingerprint in the glue. It's a partial but it could be useful." Nick climbed off his chair, giving Greg a smile before he head across the hall to Mandy's lab. "Mandy, can you run this print off this acrylic fingernail?" Nick asked, holding it up to her.

Mandy took the bag from him to take a look then nodded. "Yeah, looks like a partial though."

"Can you try?" He requested, leaning on the other side of her table.

Mandy smiled up at the Texan then pulled some gloves on to handle the evidence. "Do you have any idea who it might be?" She asked as she loaded the print data into the computer.

"I'm guessin' a woman, maybe Brass's daughter." Mandy looked round at him surprised. "I know he doesn't want to believe that his daughter killed those people, but witnesses identified her as the shooter."

"Well," Mandy turned her computer screen so Nick could see it. "Looks like you're right. Print came back to Ellie Brass."

Nick nodded as he checked for himself. "Thank you Mandy." Nick head back across the hall to the layout room, taking a seat beside Greg again. "Print belongs to Ellie Brass."

"That girl who's gone missing?" Greg queried. "The Captain's daughter?"

"Yep," Nick reached for a file then held out a picture to Greg. "Did you see this woman?" He asked showing him a recent photo of Ellie Brass. Greg's eyes widened as he looked at it, giving Nick the answer he was looking for. "Okay. For some reason this mystery green eyed man and Ellie are going on a killin' spree. They're killin' survivors of the 1995 Red Rock Bank robbery."

"Green eyed man?" Greg queried. Nick nodded looking round at his expression. "Like really green?"

"Like your favourite colour green, yeah." He nodded watching Greg smile as he had remembered his favourite colour. "Why, did you see him too?"

Greg nodded as he leant on his elbow on the table. "Right before he hit me, I saw his green eyes. Why did they want to kill me? I wasn't involved in a bank robbery."

"How do you know they wanted to kill you?" Nick asked curiously. "They killed one of the survivor bank tellers, Malcolm White. He was your DB at the crime scene." Nick reminded him as Greg had been a little forgetful on the details after he hit his head.

"But when they were taking me, they were talking to each other."

"What did they say?" Nick watched Greg's expression curiously.

"Something about a master, and I was needed." Sighing softly, Greg gave Nick a shrug as he couldn't remember. "Sorry."

"It's okay. At least we can now confirm they're workin' together and not on separate crime sprees."

"Nick!" Grissom shouted his name as he entered the room. "I told you to go home an hour ago, you've worked a double shift already . . . and you Greg, what are you still doing here?" He asked checking his watch. "You're supposed to be at home sleeping."

"He's helpin' me." Nick defended him. "Greg saw the green eyed man and Ellie when he was attacked."

"How does he know it was Ellie?" Grissom queried then watched Greg holding up the picture of her in his hands. "Are you sure it was her?" Greg nodded feeling as though he was on trial.

"We also got her fingerprints to confirm she was there. These two are workin' together and they were talkin' about takin' Greg away to their Master." Nick informed him on the recent update on case details.

"Okay, I'll tell Warrick and Sara. You two go home before I have to escort you there myself."

Nick and Greg both nodded then waited for him to leave.

Greg turned to Nick giving him a wide smile. "So what are you doing for the rest of your Thursday morning Nicky?" He asked him curiously.

"Um..." Nick licked his upper lip then shook his head round at Greg. "Nothin'."

"Good." Greg grinned then tugged Nick to his feet, leading him off to the locker room to grab their things.

"Where are we goin'?"

* * *

Doctor Nelson unhooked the straps from his daughter's arms then gently wiped the bloody tears from her soft cheeks. Sandra's eyes immediately snapped open as she felt the cloth touch her skin. Doctor Nelson gave her a soft smile then took a step back from her. "I'm sorry honey, it's the only way." He whispered before he started to give her directions.

"Stand up."

Sandra sat up in one swift motion, spinning her legs around to the side to stand up straight. Her eyes were blank and her expression was emotionless. Completely unlike her.

"Good." Doctor Nelson turned to look at Louis walking towards him. His bright green eyes scanned over Sandra before he stepped up to his master.

"I've got his work address." He informed him, holding out a slip of paper to him.

Doctor Nelson took the slip from his hands nodding to him. "Good, we'll go get him tonight."

* * *

"Would you stop being such a big baby! No one's gonna laugh at you. There's no one around." Greg insisted, reaching out for Nick's hands to hold. Nick sighed heavily then finally took his hands, steadily being pulled out onto the ice by Greg. "See, it's not so bad." Greg grinned widely at him as he slowly began to skate backwards, pulling Nick along with him on the empty ice.

"Don't make me look stupid." Nick warned him as he felt himself about to fall over.

"Nobody's here. Believe it or not most people are asleep at two in the morning." He giggled softly, pulling Nick a little closer to him as he continued to skate backwards around the large icy surface. "So you've seriously never been ice skating before?"

Nick shook his head almost crashing into Greg as his foot slipped but he managed to stabilise himself at the last second. "Nope . . . never, I was goin' to in school. But my dad cancelled the trip last minute tellin' me boys don't skate."

"Well I've been skating since I could walk. It's the only activity my mom let me do. And it's not just for girls." Greg let go of one of Nick's hand, lifting Nick's arm above his head as he twirled in his arms. Nick smiled widely then reached out for Greg's hand as he felt himself beginning to wobble. "So what are we gonna do for our third date?" Greg asked him curiously.

"I think it's my choice next since you picked the first and the second date."

"Well, what did you have in mind?" Greg tugged Nick a little closer, lacing their fingers together at their sides as they glided across the ice like swans.

Nick nervously bit his lip as he looked into his partner's eyes, not knowing what to say as he was too nervous. "I... I dunno." He shrugged.

"Do I make you nervous?" Greg smiled sweetly, putting his arms around Nick's neck.

"Maybe a little." Nick confessed placing his hands on the younger mans hips, not even looking where they were going anymore.

"Don't be." Greg gave him another sweet smile. "See, this ice skating thing isn't so bad after all, huh?"

Just as Greg spoke Nick lost his footing and pulled them both crashing to the hard icy ground. Greg giggled as he landed on top of him.

Placing his hands either side of Nick's head, he leant up to look down in his beautiful chocolate gem eyes. "Are you okay Nicky?"

"I'm fine." Nick leant up on his elbows, joining his lips to Greg's. He closed his eyes as he savoured the lips he had been dying to taste all day then pulled back with a wide smile on his face. "I've been dyin' to do that all day."

"What kept you?" Greg queried, licking his lips as he smiled down at Nick.

"I didn't know if you wanted me to kiss you."

Greg grinned widely at him then carefully climbed to his feet, pulling Nick up with him. "I definitely wanted you to kiss me." Greg laced his fingers with Nick's, slowly gliding back towards the exit to sit down on one of the bench's. "I've been waiting for you to kiss me since our first date."

"Well why didn't you just ask?" Nick queried as he dropped onto the bench beside him.

"I didn't know if you wanted to kiss me." Greg leant forwards to press his lips to Nick's then pulled back to remove his skates before he helped Nick with his. Greg pulled his sneakers on then immediately sprang to his feet once they were secure. "Want hot chocolate?" He asked as he tugged Nick to his feet.

Before Nick could answer, Greg was already pulling him away to the longue area where the staff were just changing shifts.

"Do you want chocolate sprinkles and marsh mellows with it?" Greg asked him as they made their way over to one of the booths.

"Ye-yeah." He breathlessly replied, giving Greg a half nod as he was so nervous. He hadn't been on a date with anyone in a while, and now he was on a date with the best one he'd ever had.

Greg gently pushed Nick into one of the empty booths then made his way over to the hot drinks vending machine to get him and Nick a minted hot chocolate drink complete with marsh mellows and chocolate sprinkles.

"Gotcha hot chocolate," Greg slid into the booth beside Nick, handing him one of the hot chocolates from his hands. "Careful it's hot." Nick smiled up at him, wrapping one of his cold hands around the warm cup. "So, what are you doing tomorrow Nicky?"

"Workin' actually," He remembered. "Did you wonna go out after?"

"Sure, you can take me out to breakfast." Greg cheekily added. Nick smiled up at him, loving the adorable smile across Greg's face.

* * *

"Goodbye Jas." The security guard smiled at him, pushing the door open to let him out.

"Bye Karl." Waving back at him, Jason pulled his jacket on, stepping out of the bank to head home. Glancing around the near empty car park, Jason League made his way off to the only car on the far side. As Jason started walking he heard footsteps coming up behind him. Glancing over his shoulder he spotted a man and a woman with cold dark looks in their eyes, clearly following him as they both had their bloodcurdling eyes fixated on him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Jason started walking quicker, pulling his car keys from his pocket as he was just a few feet away from his car now and the couple were gaining on him fast.

Practically running for his car, Jason forced the keys into the lock then felt a sharp pain in his lower back. Looking at the window in front of him he saw the reflection of the female behind him. Within a few seconds the sharp pain in his back turned into a numbing one. Looking in the window again he saw the knife in the woman's hands covered in a red sticky substance.

Jason dropped to his knees then fell back against the concrete behind him, watching the man and woman walking away. The woman just walked with long strides not caring what she just did whereas the man kept looking over his shoulder at him; the slightest look of compassion on his face and his green eyes look almost mournful for what he had just witnessed.

* * *

Greg laced his hand with Nick's as he tugged him off down the hall towards his apartment door. "Here it is. Apartment 4B." Greg pointed then stopped at his door to turn and face Nick. "Want me to pick you up after work tomorrow?"

"Sure." Nick nodded then leant forwards pressing his lips softly to Greg's, with one hand on the younger mans hip. Nick smiled as he pulled back, watching Greg's angelic eyelashes fluttering gently across his soft cheeks. "I'll see you tomorrow then." He whispered against his lips, not really wanting to leave just yet.

"Bye." Greg smiled as Nick leant forwards to kiss him again. He wrapped his arms around Nick's shoulders, taking a step closer as their tongues danced around each other in their warm wet mouths, breaking only seconds for a breath of air.

Nick finally pulled back, resting his forehead against Greg's as they took deep breaths in perfect harmony of one another. "I should probably..."

"Go." Greg finished for him, smiling up into his eyes. "I know."

"See you tomorrow." He whispered against his lips.

"Bye Nicky."

"Bye." Nick finally took a step back, giving Greg a smile as he walked away towards the elevator. Greg watched him go, giving him a sweet wave as the elevator doors closed. He waited until he was gone then fished his keys from his pocket to unlock his apartment door and head inside to get some sleep.

Sighing dreamily, Greg made his way off towards his bedroom, collapsing back against the mattress with a Cheshire grin on his face.

* * *

"So Sara," Grissom stepped up behind her looking at the blood pool around her victim. "What do you make of the scene?"

"Well it's no point in working the scene." Sara climbed to her feet, looking round at him. "His names Jason League. He's on our list of bank tellers from the bank robbery. The judge has finally allowed us to reopen the old bank robbery case files, and we've put protection out on the four remaining bank tellers so we're not investigating their murders in a couple of days . . . but at the rate they're going, it'll be another in a couple of hours."

Grissom looked at her wide eyed then cleared his throat. "Sara, we have to work the scene. This Jason Teague is just as important as any other victim we come across, if not more since there may be a vital clue here to help us stop these people."

"Okay." Sara half smiled up at him then reached for her kit to start collecting evidence. "Looks like he was stabbed in the back before he even got to unlock his car." She noticed as the keys were still in the car door lock. "There's probably no prints as he was stabbed from behind, so the killer didn't have to touch him." Sara looked around spotting a security camera outside one of the shops. "Maybe we can ask them for their tapes." She pointed out.

Grissom looked to where she was pointing then nodded. "I'll go. You stay here and wait for David to check over the body. I'll meet you back at the lab." He instructed her then pulled a cap down over his head before he head over to the store.

The man behind the counter smiled at him then watched as Grissom pulled out his CSI ID badge. "Can I help you sir?"

"I'm from the Crime Lab, my names Gil Grissom. Can I have a look at your security tapes please? They may have witnessed a murder."

"Yes." He nodded then led Grissom through to the back room where the monitors were all set up. Grissom smiled as the guy willingly handed over the tapes to him without a warrant or anything. He started to wish all people were that agreeable to help out in a murder case.

* * *

"What? Where are we going?" Sandra groggily asked as the green eyed man helped her off the table. He shook her a few times to snap her out of her daze, looking down into her dark brown eyes. "You? Where am I?" She started to panic as the nights previous events ran through her mind.

"Shh," He whispered, placing his finger to her lips. "I've got to get you out of here. It's not safe for you here." Helping her to her feet, he removed the watch from her wrist that Doctor Nelson used on all of them as a tracer so he knew where they were at all times.

Sandra groggily rested her head against his shoulder as he quietly helped her out of the lab.

"What are you doing?" A voice suddenly cut through the low buzz of the machines. Swiftly turning around with Sandra in his arms, he spotted Ellie stood behind him with a frown on her face. "I said... what are you doing?" She asked again.

"I'm taking her out of here."

"The Master won't be pleased." Ellie placed her hands down at her sides, taking a few steps closer towards him. "Put her down. We're not allowed to leave."

"Ellie," He looked into her eyes with his, trying to get through to the last piece of humanity in her so he could get Sandra out of there safely. "You don't seriously want to stay here and kill people for that man do you?" Ellie just stared up at him with a perplexed frown on her face as she was only programmed to respond to her master's commands. "We can all go; we can put a stop to this killing."

"But it's our jobs. It's our purpose." Ellie took a few steps closer to him. "The Master said we can't leave. Put her down."

"No!" He stubbornly refused, pulling the gun from his belt and pointing it towards her. "Get out of my way Ellie!" He commanded.

"Put it down Louis." A loud click erupted through the silence and a cold gun barrel was pressed to the side of his head. Louis turned his head slightly, looking at the Doctor stood beside him. "I said... put it down Louis. Ellie take his gun." He ordered.

Ellie took a few steps closer towards Louis, pulling the gun from his hand easily.

"Good. Now Louis... put my daughter down."

"No." He refused. The Doctor forced the hard barrel against his head again. "No, I won't do it!"

"Louis, this isn't a negotiation. Put my daughter down!" He ordered again, but Louis continued to rebuff against her.

Turning to face the Doctor, he looked him dead in the eyes showing him that he had no fear. Louis quickly raised his hand, pushing the gun out of the Doctor's hand. Ellie feared for her Master's life and squeezed the trigger of the gun she had taken off Louis.

A loud gunshot erupted through the laboratory, piercing its way into Louis's chest, sending him crashing to the ground behind him.

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**Please Review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter**


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